Porsche is not expecting a second team to join Proton Competition in running its 963 LMDh in the World Endurance Championship next year.
Thomas Laudenbach, boss of Porsche Motorsport, has revealed that at present there are no other teams in the frame to purchase a 963 for 2025 when the marque’s customer contingent will be reduced on Jota’s switch to Cadillac to become its factory team.
“It looks like Proton will be the only customer team,” said Laudenbach. “From what I know now this is the most likely scenario.
“But if tomorrow someone rings us, we will sit together and have a look at it — are they a proper team, do they have the proper finance etc? — and then we will make a decision.”
Laundenbach’s comments come at a time when it appears that space in the Hypercar segment of the WEC grid has been freed up for next season.
Even with the expansion of the field to 40 cars, which will mean a maximum of 22 entries in Hypercar, it looked like the WEC grid was on course to hit capacity.
Aston Martin will join the series with its new Valkyrie AMR-LMH, while Cadillac and Lamborghini will have to go from one to two cars each in line with new regulations mandating two-car teams from manufacturers.
The uncertainty over the future of the Isotta Fraschini programme after the Italian marque’s decision to call time on its 2024 campaign with the French Duqueine team appears to have opened the door to additional entries.
But should it return with the LMH Tipo 6 Competizione — and it would also have to go to two cars if it does — the 40-car grid would be full.
Proton has outlined an ambition to expand its presence in the top class of the WEC from a single 963, which joined the series at Monza in July 2023.
Team boss Christian Ried said at the Austin WEC round last weekend that the chances of an expansion of its programme are 50-50 at the moment, while at the same time ruling out stepping up from one to two 963s in the IMSA SportsCar Championship.
The Vanwall Racing team, which did not gain an entry for this season after a maiden campaign in 2023 with its Vandervell 680 LMH, has aspirations to return with a reworked version of the car powered by the Pipo twin-turbo V8 formerly used by Glickenhaus.
The squeeze on WEC entries in Hypercar has been brought into focus by the likelihood of Hyundai joining the series, possibly as early as 2026, while Toyota has also outlined a desire to run a third GR010 HYBRID LMH on a customer basis following the lead of Ferrari and AF Corse this year.
Porsche has ruled out taking that route with the Porsche Penske Motorsport squad, Laudenbach stating that it was not on the table.
On whether Porsche will again field a third car at the Le Mans 24 Hours WEC round next year, Laudenbach stated that no decision had been taken at this stage.
