Porsche confirms LMP1 exit; Formula E entry

Although Porsche's exit from prototype racing is an undeniable blow for the WEC's top class and its marquee event, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, its pair of factory 911 RSR racers will continue racing in the GTE-Pro category. Porsche's sister 911 RSR campaign in IMSA's WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is also unaffected by the shuttering of its 919 Hybrid LMP1 project.

"Entering Formula E and achieving success in this category are the logical outcomes of our Mission E project," said Michael Steiner, Member of the Executive Board of Porsche AG responsible for Research and Development. "The growing freedom for in-house technology developments makes Formula E attractive to us. Porsche is working with alternative, innovative drive concepts. For us, Formula E is the ultimate competitive environment for driving forward the development of high-performance vehicles in areas such as environmental friendliness, efficiency, and sustainability."

According to Porsche, its Formula E powertrain is already under development, and its move away from hybrid-assisted prototypes to full-electric open-wheel racing fits an initiative named "Porsche Strategy 2025, which will see Porsche develop a combination of pure GT vehicles and fully electric sports cars, such as the first fully electric Porsche model, based upon the Mission E concept car."

Porsche's return to top-tier prototype racing in 2014 was met with instant success, and by 2015, the 919 Hybrid program was capable of earning its first of three consecutive overall wins at Le Mans and back-to-back Drivers' and Teams' championships. The German brand currently leads both standings over Toyota with five races remaining.

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Porsche's LMP1 team will transition to the Formula E project after the Nov. 18 WEC season finale, and the manufacturer says it anticipates holding onto its six factory prototype drivers. Downsizing from six LMP1 drivers to a two-car two-car Formula E effort could lead some of the factory pilots to look elsewhere for employment.

"Building up the Le Mans team from scratch was a huge challenge," said Porsche LMP1 vice president Fritz Enzinger. "Over the years, we have developed an incredibly successful and professional team. This will be our basis going forward. I am certain that we will maintain our high level in Formula E. Confidence is high, and we are excited to get started."

Porsche's upcoming Formula E entry is the latest high-profile acquisition for the upstart championship. In joining Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, most of Germany's leading auto manufacturers have committed to the championship. With its incoming marques and existing factory engagements from Citroen, Jaguar, Mahindra, Renault, Venturi, and other specialist electric constructors, the series, which launched in 2014, has become an industry powerhouse.

Counter to the positive news for Formula E, the FIA WEC has suffered the loss of its two biggest spenders and unbridled technology advocates in less than a year. With Audi's exit in November and Porsche preparing for its farewell, the WEC and Le Mans will have one manufacturer left in LMP1-H with Toyota. Its ongoing participation has also been called into question.

Rumors of a reduced 2018 campaign for Toyota, centered around a pre-Le Mans run at Spa in Belgium before returning to France for its 19th attempt to win the great endurance race, remain unconfirmed. It's believed the Toyota team has been waiting for Porsche to declare its intentions for LMP1-H before finalizing plans to stay, leave, or step down to a lower frequency of participation.