Andlauer: Penske Hypercar Seat “Culmination” of Porsche Years

Julien Andlauer described his appointment to Porsche Penske Motorsport’s factory LMDh roster as the “culmination of everything,” stepping up after a long relationship with the German brand.

The Frenchman was confirmed in October to be joining Porsche’s works lineup in the FIA World Endurance Championship, teaming up with Michael Christensen aboard the No. 5 Porsche 963 after a year of head-turning performances at Proton Competition.

The graduation to a top-level Hypercar seat marks the latest step in Andlauer’s relationship with Porsche, which by his own admission ‘goes back a long time.’

Andlauer’s first race in a Porsche came during a one-off outing with Sainteloc Racing in Porsche Carrera Cup Italia in 2015, when it was on the support bill for that year’s CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.

“We won Carrera Cup France in 2017, step up as Porsche Junior for two years, then two years as a young professional,” Andlauer told Sportscar365.

“We won Le Mans in class, done a lot of races. It was also a bit of a tough journey in 2020, 2021, COVID cut off some programs.

“So it was a bit tough to [have] a proper program, but I was always around, mainly in customer teams. I built a very strong relationship with Porsche, especially Proton.

“That’s where I took my shot last year already stepping into LMP2 with Proton [in the Asian Le Mans Series] and that also gave me the chance to be there in an LMDh this year. So that was mega.”

In addition to Porsche, Andlauer was also quick to show his gratitude to the Christian Ried-led Proton squad, with which he took a breakthrough GTE-Am class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2018 and which allowed him to step up to top-class competition in its customer Porsche 963.

“It’s the culmination of everything,” Andlauer said. “The trust that they’ve put in on me for so many years, Proton and Porsche.

“When you look at Le Mans, I’ve done Le Mans for the last seven years, every year, together with Porsche and Proton. Every year, so it’s always worked pretty well together.

“And today to make the step into a Hypercar or prototype when you come from GT is very difficult, because there’s a lot of like single-seater drivers, young drivers, but also older with a lot of background and experience that are already in prototypes.

“So it’s really tough to find a way there without budget for sure and even like being paid. We found a way, which was tricky, but it worked out. I’m super proud of it.”

Despite having no top-class racing experience prior to joining Harry Tincknell and Neel Jani in Proton’s 963 and debuting in Qatar, Andlauer made a name for himself with a number of strong performances throughout the year

He peaked in May’s 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, where he led a chunk of the race and then completed several passes through Eau Rouge after the red flag restart, overtaking the likes of Alpine’s Paul-Loup Chatin and Toyota drivers Brendon Hartley and Kamui Kobayashi.

Andlauer believes that his season with Proton was critical to securing his promotion to the factory team, as it allowed him to showcase his qualities in top-class machinery.

“I’d say before 2024, they never could have even thought of me,” he said.

“Because there’s a lot of young, talented guys that are in GT and that can perform in both. I really believe that if you’re fast in the car, you can be fast in most of the cars.

“Especially now [because] back in the day there was this difference between a GT car and an LMP1, for example. Now, the LMDh is way closer to what we used to driving in GT.

“So I’d say for sure learning this year with Proton in Hypercar was a big help. Also you know even if it’s different from Proton, JOTA, factory team, etcetera, they can still compare me with my teammates.

“And I have two very good references, two very good guys on my side that I can learn a lot from.

“Obviously, when you look at all the races together we’ve done, I was always not bad. There’s always for sure different conditions up and down and everything, but I’ve always been pretty much on top.

“So I think this gives a good indication, and on top of that, then shining a little bit in Spa was helpful, and being able to fight, sometimes qualify, being able to save fuel, save tires, go along on the runs, good pace, no mistake.

“It’s a whole package that at the end of the day you need to have. Fast guys, you have a lot out there, but to really tick all the little boxes like a factory team needs from a driver is a tough challenge.”