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Porsche Considers Early World Endurance Championship Entry for Pascal Wehrlein
Porsche is contemplating giving Formula E champion Pascal Wehrlein the chance to participate in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) race at Spa, which would serve as a preparatory outing before his debut at the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Jonathan Diuguid, the head of Porsche Penske Motorsport, indicated that no definitive decision has been reached regarding Wehrlein’s potential appearance at the Belgian WEC event scheduled for May. This race could be pivotal for Wehrlein as he gears up for Le Mans in June, where he has been confirmed to drive in the #4 entry alongside established IMSA SportsCar Championship drivers Nick Tandy and Felipe Nasr.
“We are currently discussing this and will ultimately decide on our approach to racing at Spa,” Diuguid commented. “We are exploring all possibilities to ensure he is fully prepared for his upcoming commitments.”
Porsche Penske Motorsport has the option to integrate Wehrlein into one of its two regular WEC line-ups for the Spa 6 Hours on May 10. His teammates, Mathieu Jaminet and Matt Campbell, who competed in the first two WEC rounds in Qatar and Imola, will be engaged with a conflicting IMSA event in Laguna Seca. They are expected to return for Le Mans, following which the team plans to deploy a streamlined lineup for events in Interlagos, Austin, and Fuji.
Porsche has confirmed only Michael Christensen and Julien Andlauer for the #5 entry and Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor for the #6 entry for the entire season. Diuguid noted Wehrlein’s critical involvement in the team’s test program over the past month, which included a substantial 32-hour endurance test in Aragon, Spain, and a two-day session at Spa earlier this month. This followed his competitive debut in the Porsche 963 at the Daytona 24 Hours in January, where he drove for JDC-Miller Motorsports.
“He is gaining valuable experience and performing admirably,” Diuguid explained. “What he needs now is familiarity with WEC race protocols and comfort with the car’s complexities, as there are numerous default procedures to grasp. In addition to track time, he is dedicating significant hours to simulator training.”
The selection of a reserve driver for the trio of Porsche entries at Le Mans remains undecided. Potential candidates include Antonio Felix da Costa, Wehrlein’s teammate in the factory Formula E team, and Nico Mueller, who is currently contracted to Porsche but has been loaned to the Andretti team for the upcoming Formula E season. While Felix da Costa has been announced by the AF Corse LMP2 team for Le Mans, Mueller’s status is uncertain even though he participated in Porsche’s Aragon test and the Sebring 12 Hours in March.
“We are evaluating all available options,” Diuguid stated. “Antonio is set to race in an LMP2 car, which positions him conveniently at the event. It will depend on whether we prefer to have Mueller or someone else available, or if we feel comfortable with Antonio’s presence, allowing us to pull him from the P2 car if the need arises.”
In previous years, Campbell and Dane Cameron have served as Porsche’s reserve drivers for Le Mans, with Cameron participating in the pre-event Test day in 2024.
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