Kevin Estre believes Porsche is ꧃in the “ballpark” but is “not the quickest” going into thi൩s 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澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Le Mans test day, just over a second down on the cha♐rt-setting #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid of Brendon Hartle🍷y.

The additional #4 963 LMDh entered by the factory 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 looked rapid in a straight line, with the cust🌄omer Penske entry topping the speed charts at 344.5km.

“We had a decent test day,” Estre, who shares the #6 car with Laurens Vanthoor𓃲 and Mathieu Jaminet, told ltxcn.top. “We gaꦍthered 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 oﷺf performance, in the ballpark in terms of top speed - in the ballpark [but𝓰] not the quickest.

“I don't think we are the favourites yet. But we ar🐷e there.

“It’s difficult to know what the other did, which sort of programme, if ther꧑e were some low fuel runs oಞr not.

“The fuel has a big effect here [and] the weight of the car has a big effect on lap t🔜imes. Obviously, you don't know what the others do, so it isꦯ difficult to know.

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

Porsche was considered the favourite for victory at Le Mans 12 months ago, but its second outi💞ng at Le ꦉMans 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, ꦚbut the minimum weight of the 963 has been increased by one kilogram.

Estre feels Porsche is mo🐭re competitive overall compared to last year, when it managed a best result of fourth i🙈n the Hypercar class.

“We gained top speed compared to last year, which was needed because w😼e were the ꧂slowest last year, but some others gained as well,” he explained.

“Top speed ♌can be fairly influenced by tow, by low f✱uel 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 quite ahead of the field and we were around the middle on the good si📖de, but around the mid-pack. We definitely gained compared to last year.”

Ferrari set the quickest time in the morning test session on Sunday bef𒆙ore 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 at thᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚe Le Mans on the back of an undefeated three-race run i💧n the World Endurance Championship, as well as back-to-back wins at La Sarthe in 2023 and ‘24.

Estre believes the Prancing Hor💛se🦋 is well-placed to capitalise on its form in the 93rd running of the French endurance classic.

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

“But I would consider Ferrari as favourites because they've been very strong this season. They won two times Le ꦜM𝔉ans 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.”