Formula E world champion Wehrlein to make Le Mans debut with Porsche Penske Motorsport
Reigning Formula E world champion Pascal Wehrlein will make his 24 Hours of Le Mans debut this year behind the wheel of Porsche Penske Motorsport’s 963 Hypercar – with the German hailing the opportunity as a ‘dream come true’.
Wehrlein is not a complete newcomer to the German brand’s title-winning hybrid prototype, having tested and raced it in the 24 Hours of Daytona back in January, winding up sixth overall in a privately-run JDC-Miller MotorSports entry.
Buoyed by that performance, in June, the former DTM champion and Formula 1 star will test his mettle at Le Mans, as he prepares to tackle the gruelling round-the-clock contest – the indisputable highlight of the FIA World Endurance Championship campaign – for the first time.
Wehrlein will team up for the event with fellow Porsche factory drivers Felipe Nasr – a triple IMSA champion in the United States – and Nick Tandy, who is the only person to have completed the ‘Grand Slam’ of overall victories in the sport’s four pre-eminent 24-hour races: Le Mans, Daytona, Spa-Francorchamps and the Nürburgring. The Brazilian will be making his sixth start at La Sarthe, while the Brit brings extensive experience from 12 previous Le Mans outings.
The illustrious trio will share the cockpit of the #4 Porsche 963, while the #5 entry will be crewed by Julien Andlauer, Michael Christensen and Mathieu Jaminet, with 2024 pole-sitter Kévin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor and Matt Campbell piloting the #6 car.
“Competing for Porsche Penske Motorsport at Le Mans is a dream come true for me,” enthused 30-year-old Wehrlein. “I’m looking forward to this major challenge because, unlike in Formula E, I have to share everything in the Porsche 963 that I would normally tailor specifically to myself – seating position, set-up, strategy and more.
“Of course, I want to add other titles to my Formula E World Championship victory, but my primary goal is to do a strong job for the team and learn as much as possible. Porsche has such an iconic motorsport heritage, and I am extremely grateful for this opportunity.”
“The Porsche driver roster is absolutely top-tier and incredibly deep,” added Porsche Motorsport Vice-President, Thomas Laudenbach. “It makes perfect sense to leverage our strong personnel from the Formula E factory team for the third Porsche Penske Motorsport entry at Le Mans.
“Pascal has fully convinced us with his performance in testing and his participation in the 24 Hours of Daytona. As the reigning Formula E world champion, he has earned his Le Mans debut at the wheel of a Porsche 963.”
Wehrlein will first need to acclimate himself to the unique demands of the Circuit des 24 Heures, but he will be able to call upon a familiar face for advice, with his TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team stablemate, António Félix da Costa, set to make his seventh start in the legendary race, piloting an Oreca LMP2 prototype. The Portuguese ace – similarly a Formula E title-winner – prevailed in the category in 2022, before stepping up to a customer Porsche 963 Hypercar 12 months later.
“I’m very happy to be back at Le Mans after a year’s absence,” the 33-year-old acknowledged. “In my last LMP2 appearance, I won the class – and that’s my goal again this year. I can’t wait to attack the event alongside my team-mates!”
The 2025 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will take place on 14-15 June.
