Campbell Grateful to Have “Ticked Every Box” With Porsche

Photo: Porsche

Matt Campbell said he feels like he’s “ticked every box” with Porsche ahead of his final race as a factory driver but has remained grateful to the German manufacturer for helping take him to the highest levels of sports car racing.

Campbell, the reigning IMSA GTP champion, bows out with Porsche following Saturday’s Motul Petit Le Mans as the 31-year-old Australian joins Ford Racing’s new FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar program beginning next year.

“Obviously it’s been an incredible journey and a long journey,” he told Sportscar365. “Porsche’s given me the opportunity and the platform to be able to make it to this stage in my career.

“We’ve been fortunate to have ticked every box along the way that we set out to achieve, whether’s the Junior program, first joining Porsche as a Young Professional, then factory driver, and then finally reaching the pinnacle and racing for Porsche in a top-level factory program in prototype.

“Obviously that was always the goal when I first joined Porsche. They still had an existing LMP1 program.

“To have been in this position, of course with Penske and the partnership with an iconic organization, has been very, very special.

“I feel like I’ve proven myself well enough over the years with championships. It’s a shame the time is coming to an end but obviously looking forward to my future as well in a different environment.”

When asked about his highlights during his time with Porsche, Campbell said it was “definitely the championships” along the way, which included WeatherTech SportsCar Championship titles in 2022 (GTD Pro) and 2025 (GTP) titles, both of which came with Mathieu Jaminet.

“Obviously a lot of that has been with Mathieu, who is obviously no longer at Porsche,” he said.

“It’s been an incredible journey with him. It ended last year but also with Kevin [Estre] and Laurens [Vanthoor], who I’ve driven with the last two years.

“It’s just been a hell of a journey. I obviously wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Porsche with their junior platform and so fourth.”

Campbell believes it was the 2018-19 WEC ‘Super Season’ where he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the GTE-Am class with Dempsey Proton Racing in a Porsche 911 RSR, and collected four additional class wins en route to a runner-up finish in the championship, helped ‘put him on the map.’

“I only spent a very short time as a junior driver, the one year,” he said. “Then I stepped up to WEC straight away, and already in that year had some very good performances.

“I think 2019 was the year where I really made a huge step in my development as a Young Professional, and then stepping into the CORE [autosport-run] car, the RSR factory program, in 2020.

“But definitely the 2019 season put me on the map globally, outside of Porsche but also within Porsche, getting some fantastic results and ticking a few more big boxes along the way.

“I did a lot of racing as well. That was by far my busiest year. I think I did 30 race weekends with Porsche that year. I was definitely the, let’s say, the changing of the guard.”

While he’ll be looking to end his championship-winning stint with Porsche on a high note, in seeking his first overall Petit Le Mans win, in the No. 6 Penske Porsche 963 alongside Laurens Vanthoor and Kevin Estre, a new chapter will begin next year with Ford.

Campbell was confirmed to be joining the Detroit manufacturer for its Hypercar program in June and was among one of the first drivers involved with the development, and now on-track testing, with the yet-to-be-named LMDh-based prototype.

“Obviously being part of the whole testing and development phase and the simulation phase the whole of this year has been really, really coo,” he said.

“We were testing this week in Silverstone; I wasn’t there. It was one of the only tests that I’ll actually miss, otherwise I’ve been part of all the initial rollouts and testing.

“I’m looking forward to the future with them and a bit of a change for myself.

“It’s all new people, a new group, new teammates, but so far I’ve been really enjoying it and looking forward to next year, although it will for sure be tough at times.

“I know how challenging new cars can be but I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John