It appears like a headline straight out of the early 2000s: Timo Bernhard and Jörg Bergmeister becoming a member of forces to race for Porsche. Quick ahead to August 2026, and Porsche has someway pulled off bringing two of its most achieved drivers again collectively in the identical cockpit.
And that is no extraordinary entry: the 2 Germans are taking the wheel of the final Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS (982 era) ever constructed, tackling the aggressive SP10 (GT4) class.
Neither driver wanted a lot convincing. “Each of us are model ambassadors and we share a protracted historical past collectively,” Bernhard instructed Motorsport.com Germany. “The museum staff knew the chemistry was proper and that we’d each leap at a chance like this.”
The entry is a joint effort between Crew Porsche Heritage and Museum and Bernhard’s personal Crew 75 Motorsport. Porsche claims the collaboration between its museum operation and an lively race staff is unprecedented amongst producers.
Armin Burger, Coordinator of Historic Motorsport at Porsche, revealed the concept had been brewing for 3 years. “It began again at Le Mans in 2023. I used to be sitting down with Joerg, chatting concerning the finish of the 982 manufacturing run,” he instructed Motorsport.com Germany.
“Jörg casually talked about how refined and quick these automobiles have change into, to the purpose the place the Clubsport’s lap occasions are virtually nipping on the heels of contemporary supercars.” Bergmeister, in any case, stays actively concerned in test-driving Porsche’s upcoming street automobiles.
As soon as the idea was permitted, securing Bergmeister and Crew 75 boss Bernhard proved simple. “Every time folks ask why we selected these two, I inform them: easy, they had been the most affordable possibility since they’re already on the payroll as model ambassadors,” Burger joked.
Even so, the pair ended up with an even bigger job than initially pitched, as Bernhard admitted with a smile: “I used to be underneath the impression we had been doing a regular four-hour race. Then Armin dropped the information that it was really the six-hour occasion!” The six-hour race is the flagship occasion of the NLS season, which normally consists of 4-hour races.
Documentary focus meets Nordschleife ambition
The venture centres on a documentary following the ultimate 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS from manufacturing to its aggressive debut.
The manufacturing crew has tracked the chassis each step of the way in which—beginning in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, transferring to Osnabrück for the set up of the roll cage and sustainable flax-fibre physique panels, taking over purposeful checks with Manthey on the Nürburgring, and ending with the official rollout in Weissach.
The NLS occasion will present the documentary’s climax, with the movie scheduled for launch shortly afterwards.
Nevertheless, as soon as elite racers strap right into a cockpit, instincts take over. No one is treating this as an informal parade. “Our prep time was fairly restricted,” Bergmeister defined to Motorsport.com Germany. “We shall be tweaking the set-up after testing, and hopefully, we land in a great window.”
Timo Bernhard ist Teamchef und Fahrer in Personalunion
Foto: smg/Stritzke
The appointment of former Porsche LMP1 chief engineer Stephen Mitas underlines the seriousness of the trouble. Mitas additionally performed a number one technical position in Bernhard’s record-breaking Nürburgring lap with the 919 Evo.
In contrast with the hybrid prototype, the GT4 Cayman is significantly less complicated, though that creates totally different challenges. “You aren’t getting telemetry or large knowledge streams on this automobile. I really need to take heed to driver suggestions now, which makes all the things far more sophisticated,” Mitas laughed.
Bernhard laughed again: “In the meantime, he asks me for suggestions after simply six minutes out on observe. I needed to remind him that I am not driving the Evo anymore and a lap round right here takes a little bit longer on this automobile!”
The duty forward shall be something however simple. The benchmark within the SP10 class this season has been the PROsport Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4, pushed by Anton Abee, Yannick Himmels, and Jorg Viebahn.
Black Falcon’s BMW M4 GT4 is one other main contender, having already received this season with Malcolm Harrison, David Ogburn, Ross Turner and Alexandru Vasilescu.
“We won’t simply rock up right here and anticipate to beat guys who race on the Nordschleife all yr lengthy,” Bernhard acknowledged. “The extent of competitors is tremendous excessive, so we’re preserving expectations grounded. However as soon as we discover our rhythm, we needs to be proper within the combine.”
A legendary pairing born from a penalty
Bergmeister and Bernhard claimed GT honours on the 2002 Daytona 24 Hours earlier than scoring a exceptional general victory one yr later. In 2002, they took GT class victory earlier than making headlines in 2003 by driving their Porsche 996 GT3 RS to a shock general win towards sooner prototypes.
Paradoxically, that legendary partnership originated as a punishment. After Bergmeister, Bernhard, and Marc Lieb engaged in a fierce on-track feud through the 2001 Porsche Carrera Cup finale, former Porsche Motorsport chief Herbert Ampferer responded by inserting Bernhard and Bergmeister in the identical automobile at Daytona—and reserving them onto the identical flight.
The punishment had an surprising end result, forging a partnership now prepared to put in writing another chapter.
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