Porsche took its first victory of a so-far frustrating 2025 World Endurance Championship season at Austin last weekend.
But just as it did so, comments by its motorsport vice-president Thomas Laudenbach fuelled concerns over Porsche's future in the series given the backdrop of its clear frustration with elements of the WEC rules plus wider economic considerations.
Is the programme under threat?
Last Saturday, in the paddock at the Circuit of The Americas, The Race asked Laudenbach if he could confirm Porsche's presence in the WEC next year. He could not give any reassurance.
"It's too early," he replied. "We will when the time comes. It is a tough period but we have to consider a lot of things.
"But yeah, it's probably not the easiest time, I agree with that.”
But when must the decision be made? "I think we have to make it quite soon," he said. "I'm not saying it's before Fuji or after Fuji [the next WEC round on September 28], but obviously within the next few weeks. We're not setting ourselves under pressure, there's no need.
"I'm still quite relaxed."
Those two words, "quite relaxed", sounded positive, but not enough to calm nerves, even if the #6 963's victory managed to raise a few smiles.
Competitive concerns
Porsche is second in the manufacturers' championship with two rounds remaining and was runner-up at the Le Mans 24 Hours - a solid season on paper. And yet...
"We are not 100% happy with the season," Laudenbach admitted. "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."
Laudenbach doesn't object to finishing second as long as it's the result of a fair fight - but that doesn't seem to be Porsche's impression of how this year's Le Mans played out under the Balance of Performance.
"You know how important a Le Mans victory is," he added. "Ten seconds [the #6 Porsche finished 14 seconds behind the winning Ferrari], that was not the point. It was not because of a slow puncture.
"Do the analysis yourself. You can have all the data of the winning car. We know how quick it was.
"That's the reason why we are not 100% happy with the season. I think there are a lot of things to improve in the series."
BoP is three letters that WEC competitors dare not mention specifically for fear of sanctions. But there's also the LMH-LMDh technical convergence, championed for the past 18 months by Laudenbach. This subject has been debated for several weeks among Hypercar/GTP manufacturers, who met again at Austin last Friday, and will be raised with the FIA and ACO for the first time this week in Paris.
"For sure, we need improvement in the series," insisted Laudenbach. "We've seen results, which are just...questionable. We're talking about an FIA world championship with a lot of manufacturers on a top level. And because little differences make differences, the most important thing is that everyone has the same possibilities."
Does this mean that regulatory changes could affect the programme's future? "Absolutely," Laudenbach replied. "There are various factors, and so that's exactly the reason why I cannot comment at the moment."
Still, it would be wishful thinking to believe that a sporting decision could be taken quickly enough to change the outcome before the meeting that will decide the short-term fate of the 963 programme. Especially since any convergence, if it ever happens, won't come before 2029 or 2030.
Racing's not in a vacuum
When Porsche released its first-half of 2025 sales figures, which trended downwards in group sales revenue (€18.16billion down from €19.46billion) and group operating profit (€1.01billion down from €3.06billion), chairman of its executive board Oliver Blume warned that all car manufacturers were under pressure.
"We continue to face significant challenges around the world. And this is not a storm that will pass," said Blume.
"The world is changing dramatically - and, above all, differently to what was expected just a few years ago. Some of the strategic decisions made back then appear in a different light today.
"That is why we are fundamentally developing Porsche further. Our completely revamped product range is very well received by our customers. We expect that we will begin to see positive economic momentum again from 2026 onwards."
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"In China, demand in the premium and luxury segment has fallen sharply," he added. "In the US, import tariffs are also putting huge pressure on our business. Looking ahead, the movement of the dollar could also have an impact. In addition, the transformation to electric mobility is progressing more slowly than expected overall, with consequences for the supplier network."
Against this backdrop, Porsche's management is pressing ahead with sweeping measures to rescale and recalibrate the company.
"The aim of our strategic realignment is to strengthen our profitability and resilience," explained Dr Jochen Breckner, member of the executive board for finance and IT.
"Far-reaching approaches" would be discussed, according to Breckner. And two months on from the publication of the figures it remains a valid question whether those "approaches" will impact motorsport.
Possible scenarios
Continuing in both the WEC and IMSA remains the target for now, with the first tests of the 963's 2026 package already completed at Motorland Aragon this summer.
Since all commitments with partners are locked in until the end of 2027, pulling the plug now would only have a limited financial impact. But it would send a strong signal to employees in this turbulent period.
What about focusing on just IMSA or just the WEC? "Well, I'm not commenting on that because the decision has not been made yet, so it's just too early," Laudenbach said.
But it is certainly an option.
In IMSA, Porsche Penske Motorsport wins regularly with a less controversial BoP. The racing is closer, as all cars comply with LMDh regulations except for the Aston Martin Valkyrie. But why stay in a championship where Porsche Penske Motorsport has already won everything?
Conversely, walking away from the WEC would mean abandoning the Le Mans 24 Hours, Porsche's obsession, and the last major trophy Roger Penske wants to add to his résumé. As a reminder, in order to participate in the Le Mans 24 Hours, a manufacturer must enter a minimum of two cars in the WEC.
Surprisingly, however, the IMSA-only option was the one most often whispered in Texas.
Speculation is pointless, especially since even if decision-makers already have something in mind, nothing has yet been signed off. The future rests with Porsche's board. Laudenbach will need to be persuasive.
