Using white as the base colour, the two Porsche 911 RSR-19s will run stripes of red, blue, pink, black, gold and grey on the front, sides and rear wing. Each of these shades is from a classic Porsche Motorsport design, including the ‘pink pig’ colour scheme with which Porsche took class victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2018.
Both cars will also carry a big ‘Goodbye’ message in English above the windshield, and on the roof in the national languages of all the countries where the 911 RSR raced, signifying the last race of the fan-favourite GTE Pro category.
Porsche is also paying paid tribute to drivers who have been part of its WEC programme over the years, with their names written in white over an all-black roof.
In addition, the 16 races which Porsche won since joining the GTE Pro class in 2013 are mentioned on the fenders of both cars.
“Our racing cars will be truly eye-catching at the final round of the FIA WEC. I’m very much looking forward to seeing how the fans react,” said Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President of Porsche Motorsport.
“The GTE-Pro class of the World Endurance Championship will be phased out at the end of the 2022 season. So, this will be the swan song event with the works team’s 911 RSR.
“For this very special occasion, our designers have created a foil wrap that, in my opinion, wonderfully represents the history and successes of the last decade. And the icing on the cake will come in Bahrain: We’re aiming to win the race as well as the manufacturers' and drivers' titles.”
The Bahrain 8 Hours marks the last race for the manufacturer-heavy GTE Pro division that at its peak enjoyed factory entries from Ferrari, Ford, BMW and Aston Martin in addition to Porsche.
However, the interest in the category has dwindled over the years and only five cars are contesting the full 2022 season, with two entries from Porsche and Ferrari each supplemented by a single car from Corvette.
Cars built to GTE regulations, including the Porsche 911 RSR-19, will continue in WEC for another year in 2023 in the GTE Am class, before they make way for a new category exclusively reserved for GT3 machines.
The demise of the GTE Pro division however doesn’t mark the end of Porsche’s factory participation in the WEC as it will move up to the top Hypercar category next year with the 963 LMDh car.
