Heinrich Replaces Vanthoor at PPM for Indianapolis

Laurin Heinrich will return to the factory Porsche Penske Motorsport squad for the Indianapolis round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, taking the place of Laurens Vanthoor at the wheel of the No. 6 machine.

After contesting the two season-opening Michelin Endurance Cup rounds of the season in the No. 7 Porsche 963, Heinrich then switched to the JDC-Miller Motorsports privateer machine for the subsequent events, during which time he triumphed in the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca round.

That meant Heinrich heads to Indianapolis as the highest-ranked Porsche driver in the standings, 118 points behind championship leader, Action Express Racing Cadillac V-Series.R pilot Jack Aitken.

But Heinrich will now swap to the No. 6 Porsche Penske car, partnering with Kevin Estre in the Battle on the Bricks contest on Sept. 20.

Heinrich’s place in the No. 5 JDC-Miller Porsche will be taken by Nico Mueller, who previously raced for the team last season.

Explaining the lineup change, Porsche LMDh factory director Urs Kuratle said: “We want to give Laurin Heinrich the best possible chance to fight for the IMSA drivers’ title, and we believe this is the best way to do that.

“We thank Laurens Vanthoor for his understanding in this unique situation.”

Vanthoor added: “Unfortunately, the current season hasn’t gone as hoped with our No. 6 car.

“After the crash in the last race at Road America, we no longer have a chance in the championship.

“Since Laurin is the highest-ranked Porsche driver in the championship, I’m happy to step aside to give him the chance to drive our car and maximize his chances.

“I wish Laurin the best of luck and success at the race in Indianapolis.”

Vanthoor added that he will be back on the grid for the Petit Le Mans season finale next month.

“We’ve set very high goals for that race, because neither I nor the Porsche Penske Motorsport team has ever won it,” he said. “That’s about to change.”

Earlier this year, it was announced that Vanthoor had signed for the McLaren Hypercar squad for 2027, but would still continue racing for Porsche in next season’s WeatherTech Championship endurance races.

It had already been revealed that the pair would effectively swap roles for 2027 with Heinrich named as a full-season driver and Vanthoor joining for the longer rounds.

While Vanthoor has stepped aside for Indianapolis, team-mate Estre is on a two-race probation following his controversial clash with Aitken during the previous round featuring the top GTP class at Road America last month.