"You have to look at the season on a race-by-race basis really," Dieter Gass, JOTA’s team principal and previously a major figure in Audi’s all-conquering Le Mans efforts, says. "The BoP [Balance of Performance] is something you can’t influence, and with more than 20 Hypercars, anything can happen. You need to have good drivers; you need to stay out of trouble."

The BoP table will clearly play a role in the outcome. It will have an impact on pace over a single lap and over a stint. But in WEC, racing is more than that. Raw speed alone cannot be the defining factor. "It really is a matter of who on the day does the better job," says Gass.

And in the case of Porsche’s privateers, while some information and data is shared between Penske and the customer teams, both Proton and JOTA are left to their own devices when the track action begins. All six 963s are identical and there will be no pressure to play second fiddle to the factory cars.
For Proton Competition, minimum time spent in the pits is essential for any podium challenge Photo: JEP/Motorsport Images
"Being a privateer brings positives and negatives. We don’t have to do all the testing – Penske can do it for us," Button says. "But the negative is…you’re not doing all the testing, so you’re taking information from another team…

"The big manufacturers like Toyota and Ferrari, who were up front last year, have to be favorites. But with JOTA’s experience, there’s no reason we can’t be challenging. You see what they did last year – they led the race from last on the grid."

Two cars improves JOTA’s odds. During race week at La Sarthe, a second car to explore additional setup or strategy options is valuable, particularly if the weather’s changeable.

The 963 is also a more mature package now. It’s now reliable and far better on tire life over a stint. Gass is pleased with the progress both his team and the factory have made. This is a car, he feels, that’s finally ready to meet the challenges that Le Mans will throw its way.

"The Qatar podium, in a field of 19 Hypercars, was a huge reward," he says. "I think the car’s good enough now, not only in performance, but because it’s improved so much in reliability."

Proton Competition, on the other hand, is slightly less bullish about its prospects. Christian Ried, who co-owns the team, believes its 963, driven by Julien Andlauer, Neel Jani and Harry Tincknell, can fight up front. But he isn’t as confident that an overall win can be on the cards.

"In the end, we have to see what the BoP will be; it’s going to be interesting," he says. "We have to be realistic. We have a great driver lineup, the car can do 24 hours, so if we stay out of trouble, do the basics and stay out of the pits, I think we could fight for a podium. We are still learning, though – even Penske is, too."

Nevertheless, you shouldn’t underestimate Proton’s ability to win big races. This is a team that on the outside looks like a small, familyrun unit, yet that paints a picture that couldn’t be further from the truth. The scale of its operation is astonishing. At Le Mans, it’s running five cars across the three classes and could nab a podium or better with all of them.

"Ultimately," Hignett concludes, "we know there’s a huge amount of luck, experience and speed needed to win Le Mans. Luck is about whether the car breaks down or not. Experience, there’s massive value in that. Third is speed – if you have that, you can be there or thereabouts.

"I would put Christian (Ried) and his team in with a chance. He’s capable and things might go his way. Same with us. If one of us pulls it off, I don’t think the party would ever finish. We could dine out on it for the rest of our lives!"


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