Celebrating 100 FIA WEC races in Fuji
Japan is the next stop on the FIA World Endurance Championship calendar, as Proton Competition travels to the penultimate round of the season, the 6 Hours of Fuji (26 to 28 September). For Christian and Michael Ried’s team, the race marks a particular milestone in their journey as part of the world’s premier sportscar championship: race number 100.
Proton Competition are one of only two teams to have contested every FIA WEC race since the series began in 2012. With the championship now staging its 100th race in the Far East, the Ummendorf-based squad can also celebrate reaching triple figures.
For team principal Christian Ried, this significant achievement is also a perfect opportunity to look back on over 13 years of FIA WEC competition: “I have many fond memories of our time in the FIA WEC, and we keep adding to the story as the years go by.” Looking back, Ried highlights five stand-out races that capture Proton Competition’s long history in the championship.
“The 12 Hours of Sebring in 2012 was special for a number of reasons,” the 46-year-old says. “Not only was it the inaugural race in the championship, it was also our first class win, with the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR in the LMGTE Am class.” Success in Sebring was the first of many – 18 in total – but the team had to wait until 2018 for victory on the FIA WEC’s biggest stage of all.
“The 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2018 was another highlight for us, as it was our first victory in the FIA WEC era with the Porsche 911 RSR,” adds Ried. “It was a dream come true to win at the Circuit de la Sarthe as a driver, and all the more special to achieve that success alongside two future stars of the Porsche stable: Julien Andlauer and Matt Campbell.”
Arguably one of the most challenging races in the team’s 13-year FIA WEC history was at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in 2019. The Ardennes weather played its usual tricks, offering everything from snow and sleet to bright sunshine and high temperatures in a matter of days. Despite the conditions, the Proton Competition crew delivered an excellent performance to come away with a hugely satisfying podium in the LMGTE Am category.
Over the years, the team have competed in the FIA WEC under various banners, but the Proton name has remained a constant. One of its most high-profile partnerships was with Hollywood actor Patrick Dempsey, who spent a decade with the squad – first as a driver and later as part of the team’s management – chasing his racing ambitions worldwide in the FIA WEC. The effort paid off at Le Mans in 2015, when Dempsey, together with Patrick Long and Marco Seefried, claimed a podium in the LMGTE Am class. Later that season, the trio went one better, taking a class victory at the 6 Hours of Fuji.
As the championship has evolved, so too has Proton Competition. From running Porsche in the LMGTE Pro and Am categories, Christian and Michael Ried’s squad have advanced into the top class with a customer Porsche 963 while also managing the Ford Mustang LMGT3 programme. Beyond that, the team expanded into LMP2 machinery at events including Le Mans. For Ried, embracing new classes has been a welcome challenge: “The fifth race that stands out for me is the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2024, when we competed across three different classes for the first time. That really shows how our crew has grown over the years.”
Proton Competition continues its multi-class presence for the 2025 6 Hours of Fuji. Neel Jani, Nicolas Pino and Nicolás Varrone will pilot the #99 Porsche 963 in Hypercar, while the pair of Ford Mustang LMGT3 will be driven by the regular full-season trios of Ben Barker, Ben Tuck and Bernardo Sousa (#77) and Stefano Gattuso, Giammarco Levorato and Dennis Olsen (#88).
Schedule
Friday 26 September
10:15 – 11:45 – Practice 1
(3:15 – 4:45 CEST)
14:30 – 16:00 – Practice 2
(7:30 – 9:00 CEST)
Saturday 27 September
09:50 – 10:50 – Practice 3
(2:50 – 3:50 CEST)
14:20 – 15:30 – Qualifying
(7:20 – 8:30 CEST)
Sunday 28 September
11:00 – 17:00 – Race
(4:00 – 10:00 CEST)
More images from Proton Competition’s 99 FIA WEC races to date are available for download here.
Free for editorial use.
Copyright: Porsche AG & Proton Competition (Paola Depalmas)
