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Porsche to Revise 963 LMDh Driver Line-ups for 2025 Season

Porsche has announced plans to modify its driver line-ups for the 963 LMDh entries in both the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and IMSA SportsCar Championship for the upcoming season. The adjustments will involve changes in the two-car Porsche Penske Motorsport (PPM) teams; however, the alterations are expected to be modest rather than extensive. The final details will be publicly disclosed before the conclusion of the current WEC campaign, scheduled for early November in Bahrain.

Jonathan Diuguid, managing director of PPM, conveyed that the driver teams for 2025 will maintain a familiar structure, stating, “All options are on the table and we are getting close; hopefully there should be some news before the end of the WEC season.”

Echoing Diuguid’s remarks, Urs Kuratle, the Porsche LMDh programme manager, confirmed that while there will be modifications, the core driver structure will not see drastic changes. He assessed their current status, saying, “We are close to an announcement, which will be before the end of the season. The line-ups will not be the same as this year, but we are not 100% there yet, only 99%.” Kuratle added, when questioned about potential driver reshuffles similar to 2024, that this was “part of the missing 1%,” indicating that discussions are still ongoing regarding the final configurations.

Speculations suggest a potential new entrant in the PPM lineup, with Porsche-contracted driver Julien Andlauer emerging as a candidate for a seat in either the WEC Hypercar or IMSA GTP classes. Andlauer has garnered attention for his impressive performance during his time in the Proton Competition customer 963 within the WEC this season. A strong possibility indicates that he may replace Dane Cameron within the IMSA setup.

In addition to driver changes, there has been deliberation within Porsche regarding the possibility of reducing its WEC squad to two drivers per car for the six-hour races, mirroring the approach adopted by Cadillac this season. Should Porsche choose this strategy, it could result in drivers from the IMSA team being called up for participation in longer WEC events, including the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Currently, if Porsche were to proceed with a two-driver per car format in the WEC, the PPM would find itself with only eight full-time drivers. This would create a shortage should the company opt to field three factory vehicles at Le Mans, given that they would need an additional driver.

Interestingly, a proposed regulation change that would have required three drivers for each Hypercar appears to have been rejected by competing manufacturers, allowing Porsche the flexibility to pursue their preferred strategy without adherence to strict regulations. Diuguid had previously expressed Porsche’s opposition to any such rule changes during the WEC round in Austin last September.

This current season saw only a singular alteration in the PPM lineup, involving the exchange of Cameron and Matt Campbell between the two championships. Cameron moved to IMSA to partner with Felipe Nasr, while Campbell joined Frederic Makowiecki and Michael Christensen in the WEC. Notably, Nick Tandy and Mathieu Jaminet have retained their pairing in IMSA, while Andre Lotterer, Kevin Estre, and Laurens Vanthoor have continued their collaboration in the WEC, positioning themselves favorably for the Hypercar drivers’ championship.

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