Porsche LMP1 to Have 4 Cylinder Hybrid Powertrain

Porsche had two surprise announcements yesterday. The first was that they revealed the powertrain for their upcoming entry in the LMP1 car class.

They also revealed that their newest driver had  gotten time in the cockpit a bit ahead of schedule. 

A nice little Easter-egg dropped by Porsche that Mark Webber was allowed by Red Bull Racing to get behind the wheel of his new car and participate in testing. In a sport know for its one-upsmanship, Red Bull allowed Webber to ignore the terms of his contract—which terminates January 1, 2014—and test the car earlier this month.

The drastic change in cars is one that will take a bit of time for Webber to become acclimated. The early start date in his new digs will certainly help the Aussie get to grips with the different car.

Porsche also that revealed their powertrain for the upcoming season is a 4-cylinder hybrid.

“In developing the all-new LMP1 race car featuring a very efficient, high-performance hybrid drive, Porsche’s engineers are faced with major challenges that can only be solved using innovative solutions. Therefore, the race car features a hybrid system that consists of a four-cylinder petrol engine with direct injection and two energy recuperation systems. ”

Like KERS in Formula 1 or Push-to-Pass in IndyCar, electric energy will be stored and then be made available at the press of a button, sending its stored energy to the wheels at the front axle.