Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup turns onto finish straight with Dutch doubleheader

Preview, Porsche #mobil1supercup, round 6 + 7, Formula 1 race Zandvoort (Netherlands)

• Formula 1 circuit in the North Sea dunes plays host to races six and seven of the eight-round season
• Porsche Junior Bastian Buus travels to Zandvoort as the championship leader
• Eleven Dutch drivers including two sibling pairs tackle their home race

With two races on one weekend, the 2023 season of the Porsche #mobil1supercup heads into the decisive phase. Rounds six and seven of the international one-make cup contested with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup will be held in Zandvoort as part of the Dutch Grand Prix support programme (25 to 27 August 2023). Porsche Junior Bastian Buus from Denmark is determined to score some serious points on the Formula 1 circuit on the North Sea coast and thus extend his lead in the overall standings ahead of the finale in Monza, Italy.Stuttgart. Doubleheader here we come! Next weekend, the Porsche #mobil1supercup will contest two races as part of the Dutch Grand Prix support programme in Zandvoort. The originally scheduled seventh round will be held on Sunday, with an additional race on Saturday as a replacement for the planned #event in Imola, Italy, which at the time was cancelled due to severe weather. The international one-make cup with the 375 kW (510 hp) Porsche 911 GT3 Cup heads into the critical phase in the bid for the title: Just one week later, the season finale at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza follows.

Aside from the current championship leader, Porsche Junior Bastian Buus from the BWT Lechner #racing team, at least four other drivers have realistic chances of claiming the Supercup crown: Buus’s British teammate Harry King and CLRT driver Dorian Boccolacci from France as well as the two Dutchmen Larry ten Voorde (Team GP Elite) and Morris Schuring (FACH AUTO TECH). Schuring, who ranks fifth in the overall standings, is just 32 points behind the series leader Buus. A maximum of 50 points is up for grabs in the Netherlands.

“Qualifying in Zandvoort is more critical than usual. This time, each driver has to turn not just one but two flawless laps,” says Porsche Junior Bastian Buus outlining the Supercup regulations. The rules stipulate that the single qualifying session for a doubleheader #event determines both grids – the fastest lap time dictates the starting position for Saturday’s race, with the second fastest used for Sunday’s race. “I like the track, it’s very smooth to drive on, but overtaking is tricky. I experienced that a few weeks ago,” adds Buus, referring to the previous #event at the Circuit Zandvoort with the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland. At that time, the 20-year-old Dane locked horns with Larry ten Voorde in both races – and had to settle for second place on both occasions. Buus would be satisfied with a similar result at the Supercup doubleheader: “I definitely want to still lead the standings going into the finale in Monza the following weekend.”

Mathematically, the biggest threat for the Porsche Junior in the title fight comes from his teammate Harry King. “It’s rare to have two races on one weekend in the Supercup. We might see decision in the fight for the title already in Zandvoort. That increases the pressure, but I’m up for it,” says King, who currently lies second in the standings. “I’ll concentrate fully on qualifying, nothing must go wrong there...”

With eleven drivers in the 32-strong field of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars hailing from the Netherlands, the host country is represented by the lion’s share of competitors. “Our home race is always something very special,” states Larry ten Voorde, who ranks fourth overall. “When I see all those fans dressed in orange, it gives me even more motivation. I’ve won Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland races in Zandvoort but I’m yet to notch up a Supercup victory on this track. We’ve been working hard since the last race in Spa-Francorchamps to get back on the road to success,” adds the two-time Supercup champion, who has yet to celebrate a win in this year’s championship.

Among the pack of Dutch drivers are two sibling pairs. Driving for GP Elite, Huub van Eijndhoven will go up against his younger brother Lucas, who competes as a guest driver. Morris Schuring (FACH AUTO TECH) faces his younger brother Flynt, who is a guest driver for the Huber #racing team. “I’ve often raced against Flynt in karts. To compete against each other in the Supercup is really cool,” smiles Morris Schuring, who heads to Zandvoort ranking fifth in the standings.

“First of all, I want to thank the Formula 1 organisers for making it possible for us to hold a second race in Zandvoort – it means we can fully honour the sporting value in the Porsche #mobil1supercup for drivers and teams,” comments Oliver Schwab, Project Manager Porsche #mobil1supercup. “We have an extremely exciting weekend ahead of us, and the title aspirants can’t afford to make any mistakes. I’m also looking forward to the unique atmosphere in Zandvoort with packed grandstands and incredibly enthusiastic fans.”

TV and internet coverage of round four of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup
The TV channels Eurosport and Sky Sport provide a live broadcast of both Zandvoort race, with the streaming service f1tv.formula1.com also televising the doubleheader. Media and fans can also follow the Porsche #mobil1supercup action on the social media networks “X” (@PorscheSupercup and @PorscheRaces), Instagram (@PorscheSupercup) and Facebook (@PorscheSupercup).

Output of ca. 375kW (510 PS) and fuel from renewable sources
The 2023 Supercup season marks the third year for the 992-generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. The output of the six-cylinder boxer engines with around four litres of displacement remains unchanged at 375 kW (510 PS). As was the case in the previous two seasons, the Supercup nine-elevens will be powered by Esso Renewable #racing Fuel, a bio-based, semi-synthetic fuel blend. In addition to the technically identical race cars, the control #racing tyres from Michelin also ensure an equal playing field and gripping competition.
 
Circuit Zandvoort
Opened in 1948, the Circuit Zandvoort became a regular fixture on the Formula 1 World Championship calendar until 1985. Only the conversion to the latest safety regulations made it possible for the Dutch Grand Prix to return in 2021. Uncharacteristic in Formula 1, the modified track features two banked corners: the Hugenholtz-Bocht and Arie-Luyendijk-Bocht, which with a 32-percent gradient even surpasses American models. Today’s 4.259-kilometre circuit, which winds through dunes on the North Sea coast west of Amsterdam, throws even more challenges at man and machine: crests and dips make some turns difficult to see from the cockpit perspective. And sea breezes constantly blow sand onto the track, which sometimes makes the grip conditions unpredictable.

Circuit Zandvoort is one of the newest venues on the list of 23 racetracks where the Porsche Supercup has been contested since 1993. It was not until 2021 that the international one-make cup held its first race on the Formula 1 circuit. Last season, victory went to Frenchman Marvin Klein from the CLRT squad.

Schedule Porsche #mobil1supercup Zandvoort/NL (all times CEST)
Friday, 25 August
5:30 – 6:15 pm: Practice

Saturday, 26 August
9:50 – 10:20 am: Qualifying
5:00 pm: Race 6 (17 laps)

Sunday, 27 August
11:55 am: Race 7 (17 laps)

Standings 2023 Porsche #mobil1supercup (after five races)
1. Porsche-Junior Bastian Buus (DK/BWT Lechner Racing), 84 points
2. Harry King (UK/BWT Lechner Racing), 71 points
3. Dorian Boccolacci (F/CLRT), 69 points
4. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite), 63 points
5. Morris Schuring (NL/FACH AUTO TECH), 52 points

Full race results and championship standings:
https://motorsports.porsche.com/international/en/category/mobil1supercup/pmsc-2023-results

2023 Porsche #mobil1supercup calendar
26 – 28 May: Monaco Grand Prix, Monte-Carlo
30 June – 2 July: Austrian Grand Prix, Spielberg
7 – 9 July: British Grand Prix, Silverstone
21 – 23 July: Hungarian Grand Prix, Budapest
28 – 30 July: Belgian Grand Prix, Spa-Francorchamps
25 – 27 August: Dutch Grand Prix, Zandvoort (2 races)
1 – 3 September: Italian Grand Prix, Monza