With just a couple of weeks left to go until the start of the epic 24-Hours of Le Mans, Porsche unveiled the three racing liveries that the 919 LMP1 cars will use in the prestigious race.



Porsche made history with its liveries at Le Mans. The Martini, Gulf and Rothmans branded cars became icons of motorsport. This year, it seems the German car manufacturer wants to honor the good old days. Or probably the liveries will bring a little bit of luck?

Unfortunately for Porsche, last year’s race didn’t make a symbol out of the 919 Hybrid and its colors, but maybe this time the LMP1 car will get a place in motorsport history, next to the 917K.

Speaking of which, one of the paint schemes presented on the 919 commemorates the iconic racing car. The three main colors, red, black and white, represent tradition, technology and “a return”.

Tradition: No 17

The number 17 red prototype, driven by Timo Bernhard, Brendon Hartley, and Mark Webber, has the number and the color made to honor Porsche’s first victory. The 917k short tail that won the race 45 years ago and spawned the begining of Porsche’s 16 wins, is also painted red.

Technology: No 18

The number 18 black prototype, driven by Marc Lieb, Romain Dumas and Neel Jani, represents the close technical relationship between the LMP1 cars and the 918 Spyder. Even if both cars seem worlds apart, they are pretty similar in concept. It also honors the black 918 that managed to complete a lap of the Nurburgring in 6 minutes and 57 seconds, setting a new world record for street-legal production, in 2013. The driver at the time was Marc Lieb who will also compete in the gruesome 24-hour race.

A Return: No 19

The number 19 white prototype, driven by Earl Bamber, Nico Hülkenberg and Nick Tandy, will compete in the color Porsche choose last year, symbolizing the return of the German manufacturer to Le Mans.

Porsche states that the livery of a race car is a science in itself and funny as it may sound, they’re absolutely right. For instance, a livery can cover a design secret, or highlights a design cue. But the most important thing is that, a livery must look good when the car is running at great speeds – and this is what Porsche stated, we swear.

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