Heinrich to Make Porsche LMDh Debut in Bahrain

Laurin Heinrich will make his debut in Porsche Penske Motorsport’s factory Hypercar lineup for the upcoming FIA World Endurance Championship season finale in Bahrain.

As previously reported by Sportscar365, the 24-year-old had been under serious consideration to join Porsche’s works top-class prototype program after testing the 963 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

Porsche confirmed on Thursday that Heinrich will pilot the No. 5 car for the 8 Hours of Bahrain, teaming up with Julien Andlauer and Mathieu Jaminet.

The addition of Heinrich to the No. 5 car’s lineup means Michael Christensen will not return to the team in Bahrain, with the Dane looking increasingly unlikely to remain a part of Porsche’s plans next year after Jaminet already replaced him for the 6 Hours of Fuji.

Andlauer, for his part, will return to racing after he was ruled out of Motul Petit Le Mans on the morning of the race with back pain. He was replaced for that race by Laurens Vanthoor.

Vanthoor and Kevin Estre will have Matt Campbell as their co-driver aboard the No. 6 Porsche in Bahrain, reuniting the lineup that took victory in the Lone Star Le Mans race at Circuit of The Americas last month.

The 8 Hours of Bahrain will be the last race for Porsche Penske Motorsport in WEC, after the German manufacturer announced earlier this month that it is pulling the plug on its factory Hypercar program amid a “comprehensive realignment” of its motorsport programs.

It enters the Bahrain finale still with an outside shot at both championships. Estre and Vanthoor trail the leading No. 51 Ferrari 499P by 21 points in the drivers’ standings, while Porsche has a 39-point deficit to the Prancing Horse in the battle for the manufacturers’ crown.