Porsche Motorsport heads into 2024 with big aspirations. Next year, the sports car manufacturer from Stuttgart is determined to win titles with its factory teams in the world’s largest endurance championships, at Le Mans, and various esports series. A variety of customer racing activities will supplement this programme. Porsche announced its plans on Saturday (2 December) at the annual “Night of Champions”. As part of the gala in the Weissach development centre, Nicolas Leutwiler from Switzerland was awarded the Porsche Cup as the best amateur driver of the 2023 season. The Frenchman Alessandro Ghiretti took part in the celebrations as the new Porsche Junior.
Titles and victories in the world’s greatest races. This is the high benchmark that Porsche Motorsport has set itself for the 2024 season. On the occasion of the “Night of Champions” at the Weissach R&D facility on Saturday evening (2 December), the sports car manufacturer presented its extensive and ambitious programme for the coming year. The core elements remain the same: the works engagement with the Porsche 963 in the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the campaign with the Porsche 99X Electric in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and the ESL R1 sim racing competition with the Porsche factory team Coanda Esports Racing Team.
“Motorsport is at the core of the Porsche brand. For us, motorsport and innovation are inextricably linked. New developments from motorsport improve our road cars,” explains Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG. “In motorsport, we rely on our pioneering spirit, our courage and our sportiness. The love for Porsche begins on the racetrack. There’s often not a lot between victory and defeat. We experienced this firsthand this year. But we wouldn’t be Porsche if we didn’t learn from setbacks. We’re fierce fighters with great ambition and perseverance. That has always set us apart.”
“In 2024 we’ll concentrate fully on our current portfolio in factory and customer racing,” states Michael Steiner. The Board Member for Research and Development at Porsche AG adds: “With the FIA WEC, the IMSA series and Formula E, we take on three fantastic championships. We’re strongly represented here with Andretti, JDC-Miller, Proton, Jota and our works teams. With more manufacturers coming on board, it’ll be extremely exciting, especially in the World Endurance Championship and at Le Mans. We aim to fight for victories and championships. In the virtual scene, I’m excited to see how the ESL R1 series and our successful Porsche Coanda Esports Racing Team will continue to develop.”
During the “Night of Champions” Thomas Laudenbach announced a slightly different driver line-up for the Porsche Penske Motorsport. For the 2024 season , American Dane Cameron and Matt Campbell from Australia will swap cockpits. In Formula E, Porsche has set itself a very ambitious goal by targeting the title.
Porsche customer teams traditionally have a strong contingent of cars racing in different GT series. And that will be the case again in 2024. The biggest news probably is that Manthey Racing will fly the Porsche colours in the 2024 World Endurance Championship.
Alessandro Ghiretti contests the 2024 season as the new Porsche Junior
Alessandro Ghiretti is the new Porsche Junior. The 21-year-old Frenchman beat eleven competitors in an extensive selection process in Portugal. The reigning rookie champion of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup will receive a sponsorship package of up to 225,000 Euros towards his racing commitments as well as comprehensive training in all areas relevant to motorsport. Among other accolades, the vice-champion of the Porsche Carrera Cup France has set his sights on claiming the 2024 Supercup title.
Porsche Cup: Nicolas Leutwiler honoured as the most successful private driver
Nicolas Leutwiler has won the 2023 Porsche Cup. At the wheel of customer-run Porsches, the 63-year-old gentleman driver from Switzerland earned 17,312 points as the best amateur driver in his category. With this, “Niki” Leutwiler relegated the German Robert Renauer (13,758 points) and last year’s Porsche Cup winner Ralf Bohn (Germany, 12,633 points) to second and third place. The winner of the 2023 Porsche Cup celebrated numerous successes last season in the Asian Le Mans Series and the GT World Challenge with the 911 GT3 R as well as in the GT4 European Series with the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport. As a prize, Leutwiler receives a road-legal Porsche of his choice worth up to 150,000 Euros. This time-honoured trophy is based on the idea of Ferry Porsche and has been presented annually to successful amateur drivers since 1970..
Edited Porsche Factory Press Release
Pictures & Video courtesy Porsche AG
