Porsche LMDh charger powers up in Barcelona as F1 beckons

Porsche set up shop at the Circuit de Catalunya this week to put its new LMDh car through its paces for the first time on an international circuit.

The German manufacturer and its partners Penske Motorsport and Multimatic raked up more than 1,200 miles over the course of the extensive multi-day test that was conducted by Penske works drivers Felipe Nasr and Dane Cameron.

"The successful tests in Barcelona were an enormously important step," Porsche motorsport boss Thomas Laudenbach.

"During our first laps on our test track in Weissach, it was critical to ensure that the basic functions of the LMDh prototype worked.

"In Spain, we saw the entire scope of development: endurance runs, setup work and, very importantly, the optimization of the interaction between all partners involved in this project.

"I found it very impressive how quickly the employees from Porsche, Penske, Michelin, Multimatic and others came together as a unit. I’d like to thank everyone for the part they played."

While Porsche gears up for its return to top-class endurance racing, Formula 1 awaits the Volkswagen group's decision on the Stuttgart firm's potential involvement in Grand Prix racing as an engine manufacturer.

And according to a report from Motorsport.com, Porsche and Red Bull area nearing a deal that would see the former supply a power unit to the energy drink company's teams in F1 from 2026.

The talks are allegedly so far advanced that the deal now only requires a green light from the VW Group's supervisory board, a rubber stamp that could come as early as next month.

The VW Group's other affiliate, Audi, is also considering an entry into F1 and has been linked to a partnership with McLaren.

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