Porsche has left the door open on Method E champion Pascal Wehrlein making an early World Endurance Championship debut at Spa forward of his maiden Le Mans 24 Hours.
Porsche Penske Motorsport boss Jonathan Diuguid has revealed {that a} last resolution has but to be made on whether or not Wehrlein will probably be given a race outing on the Belgian WEC spherical in Could to assist his preparations for Le Mans in June.
Wehrlein was confirmed final month within the #4 further entry for the WEC blue riband on 14-15 June, alongside IMSA SportsCar Championship regulars Nick Tandy and Felipe Nasr.
“That’s one thing that’s in dialogue and we are going to take a look at that and determine how we’re going to go racing at Spa,” mentioned Diuguid. “We’re contemplating all choices to ensure he’s ready.”
PPM has the potential of slotting Wehrlein into one among its pair of normal WEC entries on the Spa 6 Hours on 10 Could.
Mathieu Jaminet and Matt Campbell, who respectively raced the #5 and #6 Porsche 963 LMDhs within the opening two WEC rounds at Qatar and Imola, will probably be on obligation for PPM within the clashing Laguna Seca IMSA occasion.
They’ll then return to the WEC for Le Mans, however after that the workforce is planning to enter the Interlagos, Austin and Fuji six-hour races with a slimmed down line-up.
#85 JDC Miller MotorSports Porsche 963: Tijmen Van Der Helm, Gianmaria Bruni, Pascal Wehrlein, Bryce Aron
Picture by: Courtesy of IMSA
Porsche has named solely Michael Christensen and Julien Andlauer in #5 and Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor in #6 for the total season.
Diuguid revealed that Wehrlein has been a key participant in PPM’s check programme over the previous month.
He took half in a 32-hour endurance check at Aragon in Spain in March after which a two-day run at Spa at the beginning of this month, which adopted his competitors debut within the 963 on the Daytona 24 Hours IMSA season-opener in January aboard the JDC-Miller Motorsports buyer automobile.
“He has bought an honest period of time beneath his belt and is performing properly,” mentioned Diuguid.
“The largest factor that he’s missing is publicity to WEC race procedures and being snug with the complexity of the automobile, as a result of there are lots of default protocols.
“Past monitor time, he’s spending lots of time within the simulator.”
A call on who will act because the reserve driver for the three-car PPM squad at Le Mans has additionally but to be made, Diuguid said.
Antonio Felix da Costa, TAG Heuer Porsche Method E Group
Picture by: Alastair Staley / Motorsport Photographs
Antonio Felix da Costa, Wehrlein’s team-mate within the manufacturing unit FE squad, or Porsche-contracted Nico Mueller, who has been loaned out to the Andretti workforce for the 2024/25 FE season, could possibly be used.
Felix da Costa has been named by the AF Corse LMP2 squad for Le Mans, whereas Mueller shouldn’t be on the entry record however did participate in Porsche’s Aragon check and likewise drove the JDC-Miller entry within the Sebring 12 Hours in March.
“We’re all choices,” mentioned Diuguid. “Antonio is racing an LMP2 automobile so will probably be on website.
“It relies upon if we need to have Nico or another person there or if we’re okay with Antonio being on website and pulling him out of the P2 automobile [if needed].”
Prior to now two years Campbell and Dane Cameron have acted as Porsche’s reserve for Le Mans: Campbell didn’t drive on the pre-event Check day in 2023 however Cameron did in ’24.
On this article
Gary Watkins
Le Mans
WEC
Pascal Wehrlein
Porsche Group
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