Jaminet Wanted to Escape “Comfort Zone” Leaving Porsche

Mathieu Jaminet says that a desire to escape his “comfort zone” and challenge himself was behind his decision to leave Porsche after a decade with the marque.

The French driver announced ahead of last weekend’s Bahrain FIA World Endurance Championship title decider that his decade-long run in the Porsche stable would come to an end upon the conclusion of a season in which he was crowned IMSA GTP champion together with Matt Campbell.

Although Jaminet’s destination has not been announced, paddock speculation has strongly linked him with a switch to Genesis Magma Racing for next year.

Explaining in more detail his decision to cut ties with Porsche, Jaminet said he felt he needed a change of scenery after a ten-year run in which he climbed the Porsche ladder from one-make racing all the way to the Weissach firm’s Hypercar stable.

“It has been a long journey, a fun one, but I felt it was also time to do something different and I am really looking forward to what is coming next,” he told Sportscar365.

“I was not always super-happy. I felt deep inside my heart I needed something different and this is how the decision came up. It’s hard to believe, I wouldn’t have imagined it a few years back, but this is how life goes.

“The last few years have been very demanding. Some things didn’t go the way I expected them to go sometimes. A lot of things also changed in my private life over the years.

“I arrived feeling like a kid and I really grew up, not only as a driver, but also as a man.

“I feel a bit different now aged 31 than I did when I was 20 or 25. This is a little bit how the process went through my head.

“I already had some questions, and at the end of the day I just sat myself down in front of the mirror and asked myself, ‘Do you want to do this, or try a new challenge, to improve yourself, to get better?’

“This is a little bit where I was.

“If I want to keep improving, keep challenging myself, get out of the comfort zone I was in at Porsche, I needed something new. This is how it basically came up.”

Jaminet said that Porsche’s decision to withdraw its factory Penske-run outfit from the WEC had no bearing on his decision to move on, as the early October announcement came after he had already determined his future.

“Honestly, in the end it didn’t have an influence because in the end it was all done prior to this [decision],” said Jaminet. “So I didn’t know the program would end.

“It didn’t influence my decision to leave, but the timing worked out because maybe they have too many drivers now. It’s good for them and it’s good for me.

“I have a really good relationship with the management, with [head of motorsport] Thomas Laudenbach, ‘JD’ [Jonathan Diuguid, Team Penske President], we won the championship together a couple of weeks ago and there is no tension between us.”

Jaminet’s journey with Porsche began with the Carrera Cup France title back in 2015, which set him on the path to acquiring Young Professional status with the brand in 2017, and then full factory driver status in 2020.

From there, he earned GTD Pro title honors with Pfaff Motorsports in 2022, before stepping up to the GTP class the following year and earning the title together with Campbell this year after a near miss in 2024.

“I wouldn’t be here without them and the opportunities they gave me,” acknowledged Jaminet. “In the end I did the job and I delivered, otherwise it would have stopped already at some point.

“I will forever be grateful and thankful for all those years and giving me the chance to drive in Hypercar, which was a dream, and this year winning the championship. 

“I achieved a lot of dreams, I still have a few more to go, but when I look back I can only be proud and thankful for all they have done.”