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} ultimate choice has but to be made on whether or not Wehrlein will probably be given a race outing on the Belgian WEC spherical in Might 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’ll take a look at that and resolve how we’re going to go racing at Spa,” mentioned Diuguid. “We’re contemplating all choices to ensure he’s ready.”
PPM has the opportunity of slotting Wehrlein into one in every of its pair of normal WEC entries on the Spa 6 Hours on 10 Might.
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 responsibility for PPM within the clashing Laguna Seca IMSA occasion.
They may then return to the WEC for Le Mans, however after that the crew 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 complete 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 first 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 automotive.
“He has acquired a good period of time below his belt and is performing properly,” mentioned Diuguid.
“The most important factor that he’s missing is publicity to WEC race procedures and being snug with the complexity of the automotive, as a result of there are plenty of default protocols.
“Past monitor time, he’s spending plenty of time within the simulator.”
A choice on who will act because the reserve driver for the three-car PPM squad at Le Mans has additionally but to be made, Diuguid acknowledged.
Antonio Felix da Costa, TAG Heuer Porsche Method E Workforce
Picture by: Alastair Staley / Motorsport Photos
Antonio Felix da Costa, Wehrlein’s team-mate within the manufacturing facility FE squad, or Porsche-contracted Nico Mueller, who has been loaned out to the Andretti crew for the 2024/25 FE season, might be used.
Felix da Costa has been named by the AF Corse LMP2 squad for Le Mans, whereas Mueller just isn’t on the entry listing however did participate in Porsche’s Aragon check and in addition drove the JDC-Miller entry within the Sebring 12 Hours in March.
“We’re all choices,” mentioned Diuguid. “Antonio is racing an LMP2 automotive so will probably be on web site.
“It relies upon if we need to have Nico or another person there or if we’re okay with Antonio being on web site and pulling him out of the P2 automotive [if needed].”
Previously two years Campbell and Dane Cameron have acted as Porsche’s reserve for Le Mans: Campbell didn’t drive on the pre-event Take a look at day in 2023 however Cameron did in ’24.
On this article
Gary Watkins
Le Mans
WEC
Pascal Wehrlein
Porsche Workforce
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