In the newly formed Porsche works team, Porsche joins forces with the successful American racing outfit Team Penske. Under the name Porsche Penske Motorsport, the team fields a pair of Porsche 963 and fights 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 work drivers involved covered a total of 29,713.8 kilometers. The Porsche 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.
FIA World Endurance Championship and Le Mans 24H
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 Porsche 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 4 Porsche 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).
Urs Kuratle, Director Factory Motorsport LMDh: “We were immediately impressed by the new regulations that have been introduced in the World Endurance Championship and the North American IMSA series. We were among the first manufacturers to commit to this in December 2020. Establishing the globally-operating Porsche Penske Motorsport was another important milestone. Porsche and Penske have a very successful shared history. We now want to build on that together.”
Edited Porsche Factory Press Release
Pictures courtesy Porsche AG
