Estre Poised for Dual Full Season Porsche, Toyota Drives

Photo: Porsche

Kevin Estre looks set to be preparing for dual top-class programs in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship next year, uniquely between two different manufacturers.

The Frenchman, who won the 2024 Hypercar world championship with Porsche Penske Motorsport, is set to return to the WeatherTech Championship for a second full season effort, while also appearing near certain of joining Toyota Racing in WEC, likely replacing Mike Conway in the team’s lineup.

Estre confirmed that he will be back full-time in the WeatherTech Championship with Porsche Penske. “I’m planning to stick around for another year,” he told Sportscar365 last weekend at Road America.

When asked if he would have another program, amid increased reports that he would join the Toyota’s WEC operation, he said: “I don’t know about that. At the moment I’m focused on [IMSA].

“This is the one which I’m sure I’m going to be with Porsche next year here and let’s see for the rest.”

However, Porsche Motorsport boss Thomas Laudenbach revealed that drivers such as Estre would be free to pursue WEC programs, given the German manufacturer’s absence from the top class of the world championship.

It was confirmed in May that Estre’s longtime co-driver Laurens Vanthoor will be on a two-manufacturer program next year, contesting the full WEC season in McLaren’s new Hypercar effort and the three long-distance races in the WeatherTech Championship with Porsche Penske.

This agreement came before the publication of the 2027 WEC schedule, which unlike previous years, does not have any direct race clashes between the IMSA GTP and WEC seasons.

“Our philosophy [was to have] drivers just in our programs,” Laudenbach told Sportscar365. “Then we decided the WEC engagement, and I think it’s fair, and we always try to find solutions together with our drivers.

“Of course many of them would love to race Le Mans, where we do not participate, at least not in the Hypercar class.

“Yes, we try to find solutions which probably two years ago we would not have supported.

“The main point is that we always want to be a good partner also to our drivers and we try to find solutions with them.

“The answer is: yes, we are always prepared to talk about it, as long as long as we do not sacrifice our own program.”

Laudenbach said the no-clash situation for next year is a “door opener” for a Porsche factory driver to contest the full WEC season with another manufacturer.

It’s believed that Estre could be confirmed at Toyota by as early as next month’s round at Fuji Speedway, when Conway’s departure could be made official.

One Seat Yet to Be Announced At Porsche Penske for 2027

Confirmation that Estre will, at least, continue full-time with Porsche Penske means that the team already has its core drivers locked in.

As previously announced, Laurin Heinrich will step into season-long seat with the factory GTP squad, while Laudenbach indicated that both Julien Andlauer and Felipe Nasr will also be back.

However, the identity of the sixth driver, who would join Vanthoor on endurance-only duties, has yet to be announced.

Laudenbach said that driver, who would replace the Ford-bound Matt Campbell in the lineup, has already been confirmed internally.

“Where we are right now, I’m quite pleased because I still think we have a very strong driver lineup, and that’s important,” he said.

Sportscar365 believes that Nico Mueller would be the most logical driver, given his previous race experience with the Porsche 963 in a two-race program with JDC-Miller Motorsports last year.

The 34-year-old Swiss driver is a factory Porsche pilot in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, with the 2026-27 schedule not having clashes with either the Rolex 24 at Daytona or Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

When asked by Sportscar365, Mueller downplayed a full season program in sports cars but admitted he’d be be open to contesting “some events here and there.”

“At the moment the focus is really on Formula E,” said Mueller. “It’s exciting times with Gen4 coming. I have done a lot of development work, and I really can’t wait to see those cars race and experience that. That’s really in my head at the moment.

“But there’s no question that in the back of my head, there’s always a passion for sports car racing.

“I did Le Mans this year [in LMP2], I really enjoyed it, and at one point I want to be back fighting for victory there. But I am not that old yet that I feel like time is ticking. So my focus is here [in Formula E].

“If you want to become world champion [in FE], and that’s my goal, you can’t make too many compromises.

“That’s very much Porsche’s focus as well. We’ll see. Hopefully the door is open to doing some events here and there, but I think two full championships would be hard.”

Jamie Klein contributed to this report

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