WEC: Porsche predicts long-term presence

Porsche expects to have a long-term presence in the LMP1 division of the World Endurance Championship beyond the two-year extension of its existing programme announced last week.

Research and development boss Wolfgang Hatz, who is the board member at Porsche in charge of motorsport, told AUTOSPORT: "Basically, that is the plan. Porsche has to be in top-level motorsport – that is what we decided in 2011 when we announced that we would be coming back."

Asked if he envisaged Porsche racing in LMP1 into the 2020s, he replied: "I think we can say that. We expect to continue racing here in the WEC beyond our existing commitment."

He also appeared to rule out a move into Formula 1: "There are no plans at present," he said.

Porsche announced last week a commitment to continue in LMP1 until the end of the 2018 season. That represents an additional two seasons beyond the program laid out in 2011, which started with two years of development in '12 and '13 before three racing seasons from '14.

Porsche is also working on a continuation of its GTE Pro program in the WEC for 2016, when new rules for the category come into force. It is updating its existing 991-shape 911 RSR and will be present at the mandatory Balance of Performance test at the Ladoux proving ground in France later this month.

Originally on Autosport.com