Kevin Estre believes Porsche is in the “ballpark” but is “not the quickest” going into thisﷺ week’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Estre made that comment after piloting the #6 Porsche 963 to fifth place on Sunday afternoon in the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Le Mans test day, just over a second down on the chart-setting #8 Toyota GRꦕ010 Hybrid of Brendon Hartley.

The additional #4 963 LMDh entered by the fa꧙ctory Penske team was classified sixth in the same session, while the #5 Porsche finished on the cusp of the top 10 in 11th.

Crucially, the Porsches also look♌ed rapid in a straight line, with the customer Penske entry topping the speed charts at 344.5km.

“We had a decent test day,” Estre, who shares the #6 car with Laurens Vanthoor and Mathieu Jaminet, told wuqia🦄n0821.com. “We gathered good data with the three cars and each one made their own sort of programme and improved the car.

“We saw that we were, in terms of performance🌄, in the ba⛎llpark in terms of top speed - in the ballpark [but] not the quickest.

“I don't think we are t💖he favourites yet. But we are there.

“It’s difficult𝔉 to know what the other did, which sort of programme, if there were some low fuel runs or not.

“The fuel has a big effect here [and] the weight of the car has a big effect on lap times. Obviousl🌊y, you don't know what the others do, so it is difficult to know.

“Just we can see the lap times 𝔍and the top speeds and there we saw that we weꦫre somewhere, not the quickest, but somewhere around.”

Porsche was considered the favourite for victory at Le Mans 12 months ago, but its se🐠cond outing at Le Mans with the 963 LMDh ended in disappointment as it failed to even finish on the podium.

As per the Balance of Performance changes for 2025, Porsche has received a 1.4 per cent boost in stage-two power, but the minimum weight of the 963 has been increased by one kilogr🍰am.

Estre feels Porsche is more competitive overall compared to last year, when🎉 it managed a best result ꦚof fourth in the Hypercar class.

“We gained top speed compared to last year, which was needed because we were the sl🦋owest last year, but some others gained as well,” he explained.

“Top speed can be𝓀 fairly influenced by tow, by low fuel runs, etc. So it's difficult to know the number of laps we've done.

“But we definitely saw that one or two brands were qui🦩te ahead of the field and we were arou𓂃nd the middle on the good side, but around the mid-pack. We definitely gained compared to last year.”

Ferrari set the quickest time in the morning test 🗹session on Sunday before emerging as the closest rival to Toyota in the afternoon session, with the factory #51 car finishing second ahead of AF Corse’s customer #83 entry.

Ferrari arrived a🐟t the Le Mans on the back of an undefeated three-race run in the World Endurance Championship, as well as back-to-back wins at La Sarthe in 2023 and ‘24.

Estre believes the Prancing Horse is well-placed to capitalise on its f💖orm in the 93rd running of the French en♑durance classic.

“I hope it's going to be a great battle, to be honest. That's what we al𒐪l want. That's what we are here for,꧑” he said.

“But I would consider Ferrari as favourites because they've been very strong this season. They won two times Le Mans in a row and they were quickest in session one and not🌳 far in session two.

“They have 💫the highest top speed, so they will be there.”