Heinrich “Looking Forward” to “Kickstarting” JDC Program

Photo: Jurgen Tap/Porsche

Laurin Heinrich says he’s ready for the challenge of Long Beach in what comes as an expanded Porsche 963 program for one of Porsche’s rapidly rising stars.

The 24-year-old German, who teamed with Felipe Nasr and Julien Andlauer to win both the Rolex 24 at Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring with Porsche Penske Motorsport, will head into Saturday’s 100-minute IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship street race tied for the GTP points lead.

The unusual circumstance could see Heinrich, who is confirmed for all remaining WeatherTech Championship GTP races except for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen, take over as the sole points leader, especially following IMSA’s drastic Balance of Performance adjustments made to the Porsche 963.

Heinrich, who will make his debut at the wheel of JDC-Miller Motorsports’ entry with co-driver Tijmen van der Helm, will be driving the 2025-spec Porsche which will be 40 kgs lighter than the two factory Porsche Penske entries, which will weigh in at a record mass of 1100 kg each.

Speaking with Sportscar365, Heinrich stressed that there will be many other factors at play this weekend.

“For me, personally, it will be my first time in Long Beach,” he told Sportscar365. “When AO did it, I was in Paul Ricard for GT World Challenge.

“Obviously I’ve done plenty of races and laps on the simulator, but surely it’s not the same thing. It’s different, especially in a GTP car.

“If you add into account that it’s not only going to be my first time in Long Beach but also my first time working with JDC, meeting all these new people.

“It’s such a compact race weekend; it’s only a two-day event. You have FP1, FP2 and quali back-to-back, and then the next day the race starts.

“There’s not much time to get to work and settle down. It keeps you on your toes.”

When asked directly about the BoP differences between the two 963s, Heinrich said he’s unsure if it will actually play into his advantage, especially with all of the other elements he’ll have to get up to speed with.

“It will be a challenging weekend, that’s for sure,” he said. “But I’m looking forward to kickstarting this program.

“Our car is going to be lighter [than the Penske Porsche 963s] for sure. It’s a new dynamic now in what IMSA is adding into it by having two different BoPs for the 2026 and 2025 car.

“I cannot evaluate the differences of this BoP change. Obviously, I guess IMSA knows what they’re doing for sure.

“Let’s see where we’ll be in the mix. In a race at Long Beach, it comes down to much more than just raw pace because it’s such a specific race being that short on a street circuit.

“There’s only one pit stop, which makes it so much more important to get everything right.”

Heinrich Relishing “Big Puzzle” of Racing in Porsches This Year

With his schedule now increased by five more races — all of the remaining IMSA GTP sprint rounds with JDC-Miller, plus the six-hour Michelin Endurance Cup round at Road America, Heinrich will arguably be one of the busiest Porsche factory drivers this year.

It comes in addition to his European Le Mans Series campaign with High Class Racing, selected GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS races with Origine Motorsport, the Nürburgring 24 with Lionspeed GP, an expected run in the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa and possible full season Intercontinental GT Challenge program if he’s confirmed for the Suzuka 1000km and Indianapolis 8 Hour presented by AWS.

And that’s not to mention a likely return to the FIA GT World Cup at Macau in November.

“It’s a big puzzle this year,” said Heinrich. “All my programs, there’s a lot going on. I’m working with a lot of different teams, different people, in different championships, also now with different cars, jumping left and right, back and forth.

“But I think it’s a great opportunity because everyone who is following my schedules know that I like to keep myself busy. I like to race and to make some experiences.

“Being able to jump from one thing to another to be able to be versatile, not only in what cars you can drive but also what people you can work with, I think that makes me a more complete driver and that’s always something I’ve enjoyed.

“This year is pretty special because the variety is just so big, which even for me is something new. But I’m looking forward to the challenge and I’m enjoying it so far.”

When asked if his newly minted full factory driver status has helped in terms of gaining so many new opportunities, Heinrich said it “for sure helps.”

He added: “I feel greatly supported by Porsche. I know they try their best for my future, to give me the best opportunities possible.

“That’s also why I feel so happy there and at home.

“Being named a Porsche factory driver was for sure a boost for my career. That’s clear.

“But I don’t want to rely on this status. I also try to have a good relationship with the teams that I’m working with and still try to build new relations, because in the end, it’s what it’s all about in racing.”

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