Tag Archives: Porsche Penske Motorsport

Porsche Dumps World Endurance Cup!

Porsche AG (P911.DE)* said this morning will in future focus on two factory projects in motorsport. Porsche Motorsport will run the Porsche 99X Electric in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Porsche will also run 963 in the North American IMSA WeatherTech series SportsCar Championship. The surprise move abandons some racing that Porsche was long involved with. Porsche Penske Motorsport will end its involvement in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) at the end of the current season. (However, the cost of new model introductions as well as Trump’s tariff wars and formidable Chinese competition on EVs, dividends for shareholders no doubt weighed heavily on the retreat – AutoCrat.)**

“We very much regret that, due to the current circumstances, we will not be continuing our involvement in the WEC after this season,” said Dr Michael Steiner, Deputy Chairman and Member of the Executive Board Research and Development, Porsche AG. Steiner has been at Porsche since 2002 after leaving Daimler AG. Continue reading

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WEC Spa – Ferrari One-Two. Alpine Third in Hypercar

Ferrari at Spa finished first and second as the #51 passed under the chequered flag just four seconds ahead of the sister #50 Ferrari  prototype. This was ironic or exciting as Antonio Giovinazzi crashed at the crest of Eau Rouge on his first lap out of the pits during Thursday’s FP2 session. The World Endurance Cup said a record crowd of ~ 100,000 showed up in the 14th  running of the Belgium endurance race. (read AutoInformed.com on Spa-Francorchamps – LeMans Dress Rehearsal this Weekend)* James Calado drove the opening Ferrari stint, which he dubbed as conservative in order to take care of the tires. Giovinazzi drive the second stint without inducing serious damage. Pier Guidi drove remainder of the race. Continue reading

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Interlagos Lap Record – Taycan Turbo GT

A Taycan Turbo GT* set a time of 1:42.1 minutes on the 4.3-kilometer Interlagos circuit on 5 February 2025, Porsche said today. The lap time trimmed almost eight seconds off the record set by the Taycan Turbo S in 2022 (1:49.8 minutes). It was also just under a second inside an earlier production-car lap record set by the 911 Turbo S (1:43.087 minutes).

“Coming to Interlagos and getting behind the wheel of the Taycan Turbo GT right after winning the 24 Hours of Daytona was an incredible experience. I expected the strong acceleration and brutal torque but, ultimately, it was the overall performance that really impressed me,” said Porsche works driver Felipe Nasr who was at the wheel. Continue reading

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Porsche Penske Motorsport Wins – Rename the 963 to 967?

The 2024 season was one of the most successful in Porsche’s long-distance racing history as the Porsche 963, won seven of eight possible titles together with the works team Porsche Penske Motorsport. Maybe it should be call 967 to honor the success in only the second year of racing the 963. The overall result of the 2024 season in the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship was six out of six possible titles in North America, as well as the world championship crown for the works drivers Kévin Estre from France, André Lotterer from Germany and Laurens Vanthoor from Belgium in the FIA WEC. Porsche missed the manufacturer’s title in the world championship with the 963 this year by two points.

‟ ‘Nobody’s perfect’ – we already used this slogan in 1983, when only one third-party manufacturer appeared in the top 10 of the 24 Hours of Le Mans,” said Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport in a release celebrating the season today. It turns out that 41 years ago, Porsche publicized the Le Mans result under the ‘Nobody’s perfect’ on a now well-known poster. It depicted the racing cars from Stuttgart in the first eight places in the overall classification and in tenth place, with a Sauber BMW in between in the ninth spot. In AutoInformed’s view it also is just another example of Porsche’s sense of humor – counter the false stereotype on the lack of German humor. Remember the pink pig Porsche 917 endurance racer at Le Mans in 1971with the cuts of ham stenciled on the car? Continue reading

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Rolex 24 At Daytona – Record Crowd as Porsche Beats Cadillac  

The finish of Rolex 24 At Daytona yesterday saw a record crowd watch tight racing thought the 59 car field with five cars in the fastest Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class on the lead lap when the checkered flag dropped short of the 24 hour mark. Leaving aside the officiating confusion, Porsche took the overall victory with No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963, even though the drivers weren’t immediately aware of the historic triumph along with the other four cars running on the same lap after twice around the clock. Maybe the timing officials should be wearing Rolex watches. Continue reading

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Penske Motorsport Heads List of Porsche 963 WEC and IMSA Contenders During 2023. A New Golden Age of Racing?

This is an intercontinental program as sports car racing enters what could be a new golden age with ever increasing participants and global audiences. For the first time in some 30 years, it will be possible to compete for overall victories in the endurance classics at Le Mans, Sebring and Daytona with cars of identical construction. Continue reading

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IMSA – Porsche Virtually Shows LMDh Car

They were  the first images of an actual race car from any of the five manufacturers committed to competing in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship’s new top-tier prototype class – LMDh – when it debuts in 2023. Porsche is partnering with Team Penske and chassis maker Multimatic on the project as Porsche Penske Motorsport. The team will compete in both the WeatherTech Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship. For the first time in some 30 years, it will be possible to compete for overall victories in the endurance classics at Le Mans, Sebring and Daytona with cars of identical construction. The 500 kW and 680 PS (or ~670 hp that they admit to – Autocrat) hybrid racing car is scheduled to complete numerous test runs in 2022. Continue reading

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