Porsche Remains Non-Committal Amidst Speculation Over Endurance Programmes
Porsche Motorsport boss Thomas Laudenbach has refuted claims regarding a potential downsizing of the manufacturer’s participation in both the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the IMSA SportsCar Championship for the 2026 season. Laudenbach stated, “I am not commenting on that, because the decision is not made — it is too early.” He emphasized that any announcements regarding the future of the LMDh program would be made in due time.
The comments come during a challenging period for Porsche, marked by declining sales due to increased tariffs in the U.S. and reduced demand in China. CEO Oliver Blume recently indicated a 10% workforce reduction by 2029, adjusting projected sales from over 300,000 to a peak of 250,000 units in the coming years. This financial strain was compounded by a drop in Porsche’s stock price, resulting in the brand’s exit from Germany’s DAX index of blue-chip companies.
Laudenbach acknowledged the difficulties, stating, “It is a tough period for the brand,” but maintained that financial factors alone would not dictate the future of their racing commitments. He hinted at dissatisfaction with aspects of the WEC, pointing to a need for improvement, particularly regarding the Balance of Performance, which he described as yielding “questionable results.”
The #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport entry, featuring drivers Kevin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor, and Matt Campbell, showcased a strong performance during the Le Mans 24 Hours, finishing second. Despite their competitiveness, Laudenbach expressed that the result was disappointing, given the car’s near-flawless race execution. “The #6 should have won the race,” he remarked, noting that only a slow puncture affected their run.
Estre echoed this sentiment post-race, discussing the 14-second gap to the winning Ferrari 499P as misleading: “It looks close on paper, but that’s because they made a lot of mistakes – I’m not pretending we were in contention to win.”
Porsche continues to compete in both the WEC and IMSA championships during its third season with the 963 LMDh vehicle, which debuted simultaneously at the beginning of the 2023 seasons for both series. While Porsche is on track to secure titles in IMSA for 2025, no concrete comparisons between IMSA and WEC were drawn by Laudenbach, who cited significant differences between the two series.
As the motorsports community awaits further developments, Porsche’s strategic decisions in the face of ongoing challenges remain under close scrutiny.
