Porsche factory driver Laurin Heinrich will join Julien Andlauer and Mathieu Jaminet to pilot the #5 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 at the season finale in Bahrain.
“I’m extremely happy to announce that I debut in the FIA WEC at Bahrain, joining the #5 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 in the Hypercar category,” announced a clearly delighted Heinrich on social media. “I will share the car with Julien Andlauer and Mathieu Jaminet for the 8th race.
“I can’t express how excited and thankful I am for this opportunity! It will be my first FIA WEC race, my first race in a prototype and the first time driving at Bahrain Circuit. So therefore a huge thanks to Porsche for having so much confidence in me! Quite a journey from Porsche Junior three years ago to this.”
(Photo: GT World Challenge Europe)
24-year-old Heinrich first began racing Porsches in the 2019 Porsche Sports Cup Germany. He made his debut in the Porsche Carrera Cup later that year before committing to a full season in PCCG in 2029, claiming his first podium finish at Circuit de La Sarthe in September.
In 2021 Heinrich combined both Porsche Supercup and Porsche Carrera Cup Germany programmes, taking his maiden Supercup victory at Zandvoort and his first Carrera Cup Germany win at Oshersleben. Following the end-of-season Porsche Junior Shootout, Heinrich was named the Porsche Junior driver for the 2022 season.
Heinrich was promoted to factory Porsche Driver status at the start of the 2023 season and competed in DTM and the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup. In 2025 Heinrich has competed globally with campaigns in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the Asian Le Mans Series, Intercontinental GT Challenge and GT World Challenge Europe, finishing joint 5th in the IMSA GTDPRO drivers standings.
Porsche currently sits 2nd in the FIA Hypercar World Endurance Manufacturers Championship on 165 points, 39 points behind leaders Ferrari. The #5 Porsche 963 saw its best finish of the 2025 season at Sao Paolo when Andlauer and Jaminet took their first podium.
The final round of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship, the BAPCO Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain gets underway on November the 7th.
