EVs And Tariffs Kill The Porsche 963 World Endurance Racing Program
Porsche has confirmed its factory Hypercar will stop racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) after the 2025 season finale in Bahrain.
Key Points
- Porsche will end its factory Hypercar program in the FIA World Endurance Championship after the 2025 season, citing financial pressures, tariffs, and declining EV sales.
- The automaker will continue its Penske-run IMSA GTP and Formula E programs while maintaining customer racing efforts with the 911 GT3 R Evo.
- Porsche’s withdrawal raises questions about its eligibility for the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans, as WEC rules require at least two Hypercar entries per manufacturer.
The decision follows an internal review of Porsche’s global motorsport commitments and financial outlook as the automaker deals with a chilly EV market, new tariffs, and an upcoming 10% workforce reduction.
“We very much regret that, due to the current circumstances, we will not be continuing our involvement in the WEC after this season,” said Michael Steiner, Porsche AG’s board member for R&D and motorsport. “Motorsport has always been of major importance for Porsche and is an essential part of the brand.”
Porsche’s WEC program—run with Penske Motorsport—fields two factory-run Porsche 963 Hypercars. The team currently sits second in the manufacturers’ championship, behind Ferrari, and recently claimed victory at Lone Star Le Mans in Austin, Texas. Despite its on-track competitiveness, the Hypercar program has been under review for months, mostly due to finances.
However, the factory-run IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship program in North America will continue into 2026.
Alongside the IMSA GTP program, the automaker will maintain its factory Formula E team and customer racing support, including the upcoming 911 GT3 R Evo.
However, Porsche’s future in the top class at Le Mans is now uncertain. Under current WEC rules, manufacturers must field at least two Hypercars for the full season to be eligible to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Independent team Proton Competition currently runs just one Porsche 963, meaning that Porsche’s participation in next year's race hinges on Proton fielding a second car—or Penske earning an automatic entry by winning this year’s IMSA GTP title.
“We use motorsport as a development platform for future technology and to illustrate the potential of our sports cars," Porsche Motorsport boss Thomas Laudenbach added. “With the Porsche 963 in the North American IMSA series and the Porsche 99X Electric in the Formula E World Championship, we want to continue to fight for overall victories in the future. That is our tradition and our focus.”
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An experienced automotive storyteller and accomplished photographer known for engaging and insightful content. Michael also brings a wealth of technical knowledge—he was part of the Ford GT program at Multimatic, oversaw a fleet of Audi TCR race cars, ziptied Lamborghini Super Trofeo cars back together, went over the wall during the Rolex 24, and wrenched in the intense IndyCar paddock.
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