Webber and Porsche clinch victory in Mexico

The victory was the second straight success for the number 1 Porsche 919-Hybrid, and the win has elevated Webber, Hartley and Bernhard to fifth in the Drivers’ Standings.

After a topsy-turvy race, Webber said: “This was a titanic race. The World Endurance Championship offers great racing, and this was another successful race for Porsche.

“We had set-up the car in a way that it would become better the cooler the track became. Also the difficult decisions on tyres worked well for us, the team once again did a great job.”

The number 2 Porsche 919-Hybrid, the car and crew that won the Le Mans 24-Hour Race back in June, finished fourth and as a result, Neel Jani, Marc Lieb and Romain Dumas have extended their lead atop the overall standings.

The race was a dramatic one. Audi led at the start but the changeable weather conditions saw numerous pit stops for all of the leading cars, and Safety Car periods occurred due to several incidents. B

Hartley started the race in the number 1 Porsche, and after a tough opening stint, Webber took over at the controls.

The experienced Vale racer steered the car into the lead, taking advantage rival teams encountered problems, and after a strong stint, Benhard safely guided Porsche to victory.

At the fall of the chequered flag, the margin of victory was just over a minute from the number 7 Audi Sport Team Joest R18, driven by Marcel Fassler and Andre Lotterer.

Webber added: “This was a rollercoaster race in many ways today. The weather made it very exciting and it was never a certain victory until the fall of the chequered flag.

“We are pleased to win and we are all looking forward to the next race in the United States at the Circuit of the Americas.”

Porsche are now leading the LMP1 Manufacturers’ Championship. The German marques has a tally of 201 points, with Audi placed in second position with 158.

Elsewhere, Le Mans 24-Hour Race winner, Alex Kapadia, was a visitor to Cars in the Claydons at the Claydon Estate last weekend.

Kapadia raced a Porsche in the 2015 Le Mans 24-Hours and was present at the Circuit de la Sarthe this year to race in the ‘Road To Le Mans’ event at the wheel of an LMP3 car.

Kapadia said: “Cars in the Claydons is a great event and I am happy to support something like this in the Aylesbury Vale. I understand that plans for the future include demonstrating cars to the public, and that should be great fun and something I would like to be part of.”