Porsche Motorsport Endurance commitment in 2023

HyperCarIMSAWEC

Dec 18

In the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the North American IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship, the Porsche Penske Motorsport works team pursues overall wins with two 963 hybrid prototypes fielded in each series. The 2023 agenda is rounded off by a long-term expansion of customer racing activities, among others, with the new 911 GT3 R.

New works team fights for overall victories at Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring

Under the name Porsche Penske Motorsport, the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer joins forces with the successful American racing outfit Team Penske to field a pair of Porsche 963 and fight for overall wins in the two largest endurance series. The ca. 500 kW (680 PS) hybrid racing prototype has been extensively tested and developed over the last eleven months. The works drivers involved covered a total of 29,713.8 kilometres. The 963 will celebrate its debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona in late January. The endurance classic marks the start of the IMSA championship season. Over the year, the new works team will also contest the highlights at Sebring and the Petit Le Mans event at Road Atlanta in North America.

In addition to securing the world title in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), Porsche Penske Motorsport has set its sights on another big goal: In June, the squad aims to clinch the 20th overall victory for Porsche at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the 963. Apart from the French classic, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2023, the FIA WEC will be contested in Portugal, Belgium, Italy, Japan, Bahrain and the USA. Ten works drivers from the Porsche Motorsport squad will share driving duties in the four 963 cockpits in the World Endurance Championship and the North American IMSA championship. The Porsche Penske Motorsport team operates out of two locations: The branch in Mannheim (Germany) is responsible for the FIA WEC, with the IMSA vehicles prepared in Mooresville, North Carolina (USA). In its maiden season, the new Porsche 963 will also be available for customers to compete in both endurance series. The confirmed teams are JDC Miller MotorSports (IMSA) as well as Jota Sport and Proton Competition (both WEC).

2023 works squad in IMSA GTP

With the launch of the 963 era in endurance racing, Porsche has redistributed its works driver crews. The most notable changes include the return of Nick Tandy after a two-year break. For 2023, the 38-year-old from Bedford, England, shares the No. 6 Porsche with Frenchman Mathieu Jaminet in the IMSA series. At the 24 Hours of Daytona, the pair receives support from Dane Cameron (USA). The second LMDh prototype (No. 7) in the North American championship is helmed by Matt Campbell (Australia) and Felipe Nasr (Brazil) with Michael Christensen (Denmark) as the third driver at Daytona.

📷 © Courtesy of Porsche Motorsport. Nick Tandy and Mathieu Jaminet will drive #6 Porsche 963 in IMSA full season. Dane Cameron will support them at Daytona.

📷 © Courtesy of Porsche Motorsport. Matt Campbell and Felipe Nasr will drive #7 Porsche 963 in IMSA full season. Michael Christensen will support them at Daytona.

2023 works squad in WEC Hypercar.

Three works drivers will share the cockpits of the two Porsche 963 in the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC. The No. 5 car has been reserved for Dane Cameron, Michael Christensen and Frédéric Makowiecki (France), with the No. 6 sister car designated to Kévin Estre (France), André Lotterer (Germany) and Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium). Gianmaria Bruni (Italy), Romain Dumas (France), Richard Lietz and Thomas Preining (both Austria) are also part of the 2023 factory driver contingent. The detailed schedules for the drivers are currently being finalised.

📷 © Courtesy of Porsche Motorsport. Dane Cameron, Michael Christensen and Frédéric Makowiecki will drive #5 Porsche 963 in WEC.

📷 © Courtesy of Porsche Motorsport. Kévin Estre, André Lotterer and Laurens Vanthoor will drive #6 Porsche 963 in WEC.

New Porsche 911 GT3 R celebrates its race debut at Daytona

📷 © Courtesy of IMSA: Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R at Daytona test days Dec. 6 - 7.

A newly developed vehicle will be available to Porsche’s many customer teams for GT3 racing from 2023: the 911 GT3 R based on the 992-generation 911. Pfaff Motorsports and others will field the up to 416 kW (565 PS) racing car at its debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona on 28-29 January. The reigning IMSA champions of the GTD-Pro class aim to defend their title with Porsche’s contractual drivers Klaus Bachler (Austria) and Patrick Pilet (France). They receive reinforcement at Daytona from works driver Laurens Vanthoor. Works driver colleague Kévin Estre takes the wheel of the new 911 GT3 R run by Wright Motorsport. Porsche currently expects that six of the new Porsche GT3 racing cars will line up on the grid of the GTD class alone at the season-opening round of the IMSA series.

Porsche also plans to send drivers to contest the Nürburgring 24-hour race. Currently, the potential drivers are Michael Christensen, Kévin Estre, Frédéric Makowiecki, Nick Tandy and Thomas Preining as well as the former Porsche Junior Ayhancan Güven (Turkey).

In the 2023 Intercontinental GT Challenge, the GT World Challenge and the Asian Le Mans Series, customer teams can count on the same support from Porsche as last year. This also applies to the GTE-Am class of the FIA WEC and the European Le Mans Series, in which the 911 RSR is still eligible to compete.