Porsche has a record 19 wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. However, the path to a 20th victory is about to become more complicated. The German manufacturer announced on Tuesday that it will end its factory participation in the Hypercar class of the FIA World Endurance Championship after this season. Speculative fears have lingered over the past few months that Porsche might withdraw over its lack of on-track success and the automaker’s financial woes. Without a WEC factory effort, its only path to Le Mans is through an invitation earned through IMSA competition.
Porsche currently sits second in the Hypercar standings with only the season finale in Bahrain left to run. While a respectable year, Porsche’s standard is high. The company’s leadership also isn’t satisfied with how race organizers have pegged back the 963 relative to Ferrari’s cars through Balance of Performance. In the Porsche 963’s three seasons of competition, a Ferrari 499P has won Le Mans. Thomas Laudenbach, Porsche’s vice president of motorsport, said to the Race:
“We are not 100% happy with the season. We had a second place in Le Mans and, in some way, it’s not bad if you look at the competition. On the other side, it did hurt because the #6 car was close to a perfect race. Frankly speaking, it should have won the race.”
The only major WEC laurel that Porsche has to show for its efforts is Kévin Estre, André Lotterer and Laurens Vanthoor winning the 2024 Hypercar Drivers’ Championship in the No. 6 Porsche. Dr. Michael Steiner, Porsche deputy chairman, said, “We very much regret that, due to the current circumstances, we will not be continuing our involvement in the WEC after this season.”
Porsche is focusing on electric racing, despite ditching future production EVs
Porsche stated the end of factory WEC participation is just part of a “comprehensive realignment.” The German manufacturer declared its focus on the next-generation Formula E ruleset. Porsche committed to Gen 4 last year, with the regulations coming into effect for the 2026-27 season. Gen 4 will see the most significant leap in performance yet. The new car will produce 800 horsepower, replacing the current 470-hp machinery. Fan interest in the electric world championship ebbs and flows with each new ruleset, peaking with the introduction of faster cars and waning as newer production EVs quickly outpace them.
The confusing aspect of Porsche’s decision is that the company is cooling off its plans for new production EVs. The automaker scrapped plans to produce a new midsize electric crossover just last month. The model will now feature gas-powered and plug-in-hybrid powertrains. Porsche is making similar plans for the successor models for the Cayenne and the Panamera. Porsche is also rescheduling the development of its future EV platform for the 2030s.
The Porsche 963 will still be racing in 2026
Porsche noted that it will be continuing its factory effort in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Team Penske has been a vital partner in the 963 program since its inception. An overall victory at Le Mans has become a white whale for Roger Penske. The 88-year-old racing magnate isn’t simply going to give up. A factory Porsche entry will still be for an at-large invitation to the French endurance classic by continuing to race in the North American championship, which was how Porsche was able to field a third entry at Le Mans this year. Not to mention, North America is an important market for the automaker.
The shrinking of Porsche’s factory racing efforts is also a consequence of declining sales in China and its tariff-induced woes in the United States. Company revenue dropped by over $1.5 billion in the first six months of 2025, compared to the 2024’s first half. The price of Porsche stock has plummeted by 35% over the past year. The manufacturer cut 1,900 jobs in Germany earlier this year while also hiking prices for all its models. The old adage that the racing program is the first to get cut when times get rough for automakers proves true yet again.
