Proton Likely to Be Only Porsche 963 WEC Customer in 2025

Photo: Porsche

Proton Competition is likely to be the only customer Porsche 963 team in the FIA World Endurance Championship next year according to Porsche Motorsport boss Thomas Laudenbach.

The German manufacturer, which will lose two privateer Hypercar entries from Hertz Team JOTA to Cadillac, will still have a customer presence with at least one Proton 963.

It was believed with Isotta Fraschini’s withdrawal from this year’s world championship it would give the possibility for two additional 963s, either from a second Proton entry and/or a new team, although Laudenbach has downplayed those prospects.

“Obviously it looks like Proton will be the only customer team next year,” he told selected reporters during last weekend’s Lone Star Le Mans event at Circuit of The Americas.

“If Chris [Ried, Proton team principal] wants to do a second car, they will ask us.

“Maybe there are others that want to enter more cars like Ferrari did, but that’s something they do with the ACO and not with us.

“Of course we’re in a close relationship with Chris, no question. But they decide as they have to look for the budgets.

“I think it’s a tough one to finance this on a private basis.”

When pressed further on the matter, Laudenbach said a Proton-only customer effort is currently the “most likely” scenario.

“But if tomorrow somebody rings us, ‘Heinz-Hoopt Flaube’ from ‘Refrigerator Racing’, and he calls us, obviously we will sit together with him, we will have a look if it’s a proper team, do they have the financing, etc, and then we will make a decision,” he said.

“WEC will then make a decision [on the entry].

“There are two customer teams in the field which is JOTA and Proton. JOTA goes a lot closer now to Cadillac, which I think is great for them.

“Just talk to Chris, he can tell you how tough it is to get the budgets for such a thing.

“I don’t think there are many teams out there. Maybe there are a lot of teams wishing to do it. But [few] really in a position to do it on a certain level.”

Laudenbach said the prospects of fielding a third Team Penske-run 963 on a full-season basis is not currently in the plans.

Such a proposal, which Sportscar365 understands has been evaluated internally, would be similar to AF Corse’s satellite Ferrari 499P that runs in the Hypercar Teams’ Trophy.

“We are not talking about it,” Laudenbach said. “It’s of course [it’s] something we always think about but I think we’re in very good shape with our two cars.

“We have [at least] three cars on the grid [for 2025], if Chris [Ried] decides to carry on.

“Don’t forget, to have a third [Penske] car, you need the financing. It’s a lot different, the operations, to do three cars.

“Right now we don’t have plans to bring a third car.”

Instead, Laudenbach said Porsche Penske Motorsport is aiming to again field a third factory entry at the 24 Hours of Le Mans only, with an auto entry gained through winning the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTP class, which it currently leads.

Laudenbach: Customer Hypercar Entries Becoming More Difficult

With the WEC’s restriction of entries and more manufacturers joining the world championship, Laudenbach admitted that privateer’s days could be numbered in the top class.

Aston Martin will join the Hypercar ranks with Heart of Racing Team, while Hyundai is expected to follow in 2026, with suggestions of two other OEMs either finalizing programs as well.

“I think looking back two years [ago] we probably had a different philosophy because we said, ‘OK, we’re happy to provide customer cars, which we did,” Laudenbach said.

“But now since we have so many factory/manufacturer-backed cars, it looks like space is running out for privateers.

“It’s also not a secret that there’s only one customer car. We’ve got a provide a service and everything. This is a lot. But we will definitely not let any customer down. That is clear.

“Yes looking into the future, with more manufacturers coming, it looks like it’s getting more and more difficult for customers, which I think is a bit sad, but on the other side, great for the series.

“It’s great we have that many manufacturers in the series, but at the same time, for privateers it doesn’t make life easy.”

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