Porsche eyes for Formula E, World Endurance Championship titles

Porsche always had a strong presence in motorsports with wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Targa Florio, Daytona, Sebring, and the Monte Carlo Rally. This year, the German carmaker looks at adding new titles under its belt, namely the Formula E and World Endurance Championship.

“Motorsports have always had a special role to play in Porsche's corporate strategy, and for more than 70 years now we have used the racing stage as the testing grounds for our latest technologies. We face great challenges today — in both sporting and organizational terms. We are determined to play an active role in shaping the future while ensuring we retain our motorsports DNA,” says Porsche AG Chairman of the Executive Board Oliver Blume.

“We place sustainability and electrification very high on our list of priorities. This is something that will also be reflected in motorsports of the future. As you can see from the development of eFuels in partnership with ExxonMobil, in addition to our Mission R concept car, the first major steps in this direction have now become visible,” added Porsche AG Member of the Executive Board for Research and Development Michael Steiner.

This year, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship Series will be starting its eighth season and the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team has set itself an ambitious goal for the next 16 world championship events with the Porsche 99X Electric.

“There is absolutely no doubt that we have what it takes to win races. The highlights of the past season have made this very clear,” commented Porsche Motorsport Team Manager, Thomas Laudenbach.

Drivers André Lotterer (#36) and Pascal Wehrlein (#94) look to steer the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team into victory. Meanwhile, Simona de Silvestro or Neel Jani are ready to replace any of the two drivers should any of them drop out.

The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship Series starts on January 28, with two races in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, Porsche also prepares to enter this year’s World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) with two 515 PS 911 RSRs.

The two units will enter the upcoming six races under the leadership of Alexander Stehlig, Overall Project Manager and Head of Operations, and will field a slightly different driver crew. Gianmaria Bruni and Richard Lietz will again share driving duties in the #91 car while the #92 sister car will be piloted by Kévin Estre and the experienced Dane Michael Christensen.

The first race of the new World Endurance Championship season is billed to take place on March 18 in Sebring (USA).

On June 11, the two Porsche 911 RSR will compete in the 90th edition of the French endurance classic with drivers Frédéric Makowiecki and Laurens Vanthoor.

Porsche also added two new drivers to its roster: Dane Cameron and Felipe Nasr.

Both drivers are to be involved intensively in the further development of Porsche's LMDh prototypes. In 2023, the LMDh prototype will be entered by Porsche Penske Motorsport in both the FIA World Endurance Championship and the North American IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

“We are working all-out with our partner Penske on the development of the new LMDh prototype and collaborate closely with the chassis manufacturer Multimatic at all times. In January, we will begin intensive testing to ensure that we are optimally prepared for our 2023 competition debut,” said Laudenbach.

Photos from Porsche

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