Porsche 963, Porsche Penske Motorsport; Porsche 99X Electric, TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team (l-r)

Porsche Motorsport is facing one of the most intense weekends of the year: On 11/12 May, the factory teams of Porsche will be competing almost simultaneously in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, FIA World Endurance Championship WEC and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The aim is to achieve top results with the Porsche 963 at Spa-Francorchamps and Laguna Seca and with the Porsche 99X Electric at the Formula E home race in Berlin.

Porsche 963, Porsche Penske Motorsport (#7), Dane Cameron (USA), Felipe Nasr (BR), Matt Campbell (AUS); Porsche Penske Motorsport (#6), Nick Tandy (UK), Mathieu Jaminet (F), Frederic Makowiecki (F)

Porsche works drivers head into a gripping motorsport weekend on 11 and 12 May leading the championships in all three top racing series. Porsche Penske Motorsport also occupies the top spot in the team standings of the FIA WEC and the North American IMSA Championship thanks to two victories in Daytona and Qatar and podium finishes in all other races so far this season.

“Porsche doesn’t engage in motorsport as an end in itself. It has to be relevant to the company and its goals, for example through fielding electric vehicles. The coming weekend emphasises this very clearly,” explains Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. “Our works teams will be competing at three venues with hybrid or fully electric racing cars. We’re looking forward to this challenge. The knowledge and experience gained in motorsport will also be incorporated into the development of our road vehicles. We’re proud of our extensive motorsport programs and are heading into the coming weekend with total dedication.”

Formula E: Porsche and Pascal Wehrlein lead the series halfway through the season

Formula E’s guest appearance in Berlin, Germany, on 11 and 12 May marks the start of the second half of the season. Races 9 and 10 will be held on a modified track layout on the apron of the historic Tempelhof Airport. Pascal Wehrlein will line up for his home race as the world championship leader, while Porsche ranks first in the manufacturers’ standings. Wehrlein’s teammate in the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team is two-time Berlin winner António Félix da Costa.

Porsche 99X Electric, TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team (#94), Pascal Wehrlein (D); TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team (#13), Antonio Felix da Costa (P)

Defending world champion Jake Dennis and Norman Nato compete for the Andretti Formula E customer team in the Porsche 99X Electric. Porsche also brings two new safety cars to Berlin: the Taycan Turbo GT, which was designed for the track and launched in March, will take over as the Formula E safety car from the Taycan Turbo S. The Turbo GT is the most powerful production Porsche ever built, pushing up to 1108 PS.

Florian Modlinger

“We’re looking forward to the Formula E weekend in Germany. Our development team from Weissach as well as a host of Porsche employees and their families and friends will be supporting us in Berlin,” says Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E. “The new track layout looks interesting. Due to the different distances, we expect extreme slipstream battles in the first race. Energy management will play an important role here. For the second event, we’re expecting more routine racing. This variety makes it particularly exciting for the spectators.”

The Porsche teams in Berlin, Germany

Porsche 99X Electric
TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team #94: Pascal Wehrlein (D)
TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team #13: António Félix da Costa (P)
Andretti Formula E #1: Jake Dennis (UK)
Andretti Formula E #17: Norman Nato (F)

FIA WEC: Important dress rehearsal for the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Next up on this year’s FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) calendar is round three at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on 11 May. The Porsche Penske Motorsport works team fields two 508 kW (691 PS) Porsche 963 race cars in the six-hour race. The customer teams Hertz Team Jota and Proton Competition enter three more Porsche 963 racers in the top Hypercar class on the seven-kilometer “Ardennes rollercoaster” in Belgium. In the LMGT3 category, partner team Manthey will line up with two Porsche 911 GT3 R. The outfit from Germany’s Eifel region tops the leaderboard in all classifications in the new GT3 class.

Porsche 963, Porsche Penske Motorsport (#6), Kevin Estre (F), Andre Lotterer (D), Laurens Vanthoor (B)

“After the races in Qatar and Imola, we’re making our way back to the legendary circuit in Spa, which has completely different characteristics,” says Urs Kuratle. The Director Factory Motorsport LMDh adds: “We’ve tested with our Porsche 963 on the Belgian circuit and are well prepared. If we maximize our potential, we’ll hopefully achieve another top result. We want to bring home a lot of points, consolidate our position in the championship, and learn as much as possible before the highlight of the year at Le Mans in June.”

The Porsche teams in Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium

Hypercar (Porsche 963):
Porsche Penske Motorsport #5: Matt Campbell (AUS), Michael Christensen (DK), Frédéric Makowiecki (F)
Porsche Penske Motorsport #6: Kévin Estre (F), André Lotterer (D), Laurens Vanthoor (B)
Hertz Team Jota #12: Will Stevens (UK), Callum Ilott (UK)
Hertz Team Jota #38: Jenson Button (UK), Phil Hanson (UK), Oliver Rasmussen (DK)
Proton Competition #99: Julien Andlauer (F), Neel Jani (CH)

Porsche 963, Hertz Team Jota (#38), Antonio Felix da Costa (P), Will Stevens (UK), Yifei Ye (CHN)
Porsche 963, Hertz Team Jota (#38), Antonio Felix da Costa (P), Will Stevens (UK), Yifei Ye (CHN) – FIA WEC Spa 6 hours 2023

LMGT3 (Porsche 911 GT3 R):
Manthey EMA #91: Yasser Shahin (AUS), Morris Schuring (NL), Richard Lietz (A)
Manthey PureRxcing #92: Alex Malykhin (UK), Joel Sturm (D), Klaus Bachler (A)

IMSA series: Through the famous “Corkscrew” under new conditions

Round four of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season at Laguna Seca Raceway will be contested over 2 hours 40 minutes on 12 May. The storied Californian track with the famous “Corkscrew” corner was resealed in the summer of 2023. Porsche Penske Motorsport familiarised itself with the new grip conditions during two days of testing. In the top GTP category, the customer teams JDC-Miller MotorSports and Proton Competition will campaign two more Porsche 963. The hybrid prototypes from Weissach can call on a maximum output of 511 kW (695 PS) in the IMSA series according to the current Balance of Performance. In the two GT classes, four partner teams will each enter a Porsche 911 GT3 R.

“Laguna Seca has undergone a fresh resurfacing since we raced there in 2023, and this will bring a new set of challenges,” comments Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director Porsche Penske Motorsport. “Porsche Penske Motorsport and all our GTP competitors tested there for two days to get our first exposure to the new surface level. The grip level of the track has increased significantly and should produce higher cornering speeds, quicker qualifying times, and great racing. Our team is pushing to remain at the top of the points championship.”

The Porsche teams in Laguna Seca, USA
GTP (Porsche 963):
Porsche Penske Motorsport #6: Mathieu Jaminet (F), Nick Tandy (UK)
Porsche Penske Motorsport #7: Felipe Nasr (BR), Dane Cameron (USA)
Proton Competition #5: Gianmaria Bruni (I), Bent Viscaal (NL)
JDC-Miller MotorSports #85: Tijmen van der Helm (NL), Richard Westbrook (UK)

GTD Pro (Porsche 911 GT3 R):
AO Racing #77: Laurin Heinrich (D), Sebastian Priaulx (UK)

GTD (Porsche 911 GT3 R):
Andretti Motorsports #43: Jarett Andretti (USA), Gabby Chaves (COL)
MDK Motorsports #86: Anders Fjordbach (DK), Kerong Li (CHN)
Wright Motorsports #120: Adam Adelson (USA), Elliott Skeer (USA)

The schedule for all three events (all times CEST)

Thursday, 9 May
11:30 – 13:00 hrs: WEC free practice 1
17:30 – 19:00 hrs: WEC free practice 2

Friday, 10 May
11:00 – 12:00 hrs: WEC free practice 3
14:00 – 16:05 hrs: WEC qualifying
17:00 – 17:30 hrs: Formula E free practice 1
22:15 – 23:45 hrs: IMSA free practice 1

Saturday, 11 May
08:00 – 08:30 hrs: Formula E free practice 2
10:20 – 11:43 hrs: Formula E qualifying
13:00 – 19:00 hrs: WEC race
15:03 – 16:30 hrs: Formula E race
18:15 – 19:45 hrs: IMSA free practice 2

Sunday, 12 May
01:35 – 02:15 hrs: IMSA qualifying
08:00 – 08:30 hrs: Formula E free practice 3
10:20 – 11:43 hrs: Formula E qualifying
15:03 – 16:30 hrs: Formula E race
21:10 – 23:50 hrs: IMSA race

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Edited Porsche Factory Press Release
Pictures & Video courtesy Porsche AG