Podium for Porsche 911 GT3 R at season finale

The 2016 motorsport season ended successfully for Porsche at the Intercontinental GT Challenge 12-hour race on the Sepang International Circuit on 11 December 2016. Second place went to Earl Bamber, Patrick Pilet and Nick Tandy, while their teammates clinched fifth place at the final round.

With a spectacular charge through the field in torrential rain, Porsche works drivers Earl Bamber, Patrick Pilet and Nick Tandy secured second place with the Porsche 911 GT3 R fielded by Manthey Racing. Over a long stretch, their teammates Richard Lietz, Michael Christensen and Frédéric Makowiecki were also on track for a podium spot, but ultimately clinched fifth place. In hot and humid weather with temperatures of over 30°C, Richard Lietz took off into Asia’s most important long distance race from pole position. However, the Austrian, Lietz, who last year won the FIA World Endurance Cup as the most successful GT driver, was beaten off the line by Bamber, who had started directly behind his teammate in third place. This did not stop him from winning the sprint to the first corner and snatching the lead position in a top-class field of cars of thirteen manufacturers. Bamber has lived in Malaysia for many years and has contested many races in Asia, making the 5.543-kilometre Grand Prix circuit on the outskirts of the capital Kuala Lumpur practically his home track.