Porsche intend on returning to endurance racing in 2023

Porsche announced it will be making its long-awaited return to both the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the North American IMSA SportsCar Championship in 2023.

The news comes after the Executive Board at Porsche AG gave the green light to develop a brand new LMDh (Le Mans Daytona hybrid) prototype. By 2023, the LMDh cars will make up a new top class in the WEC and the North American IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The LMDh prototypes, which tip the scales at around 1,000 kilograms, are powered by a hybrid system with an output of 500 kW.

According to Oliver Blume, CEO at Porsche AG, “The new LMDh category allows us to fight for overall victories with a hybrid system at the Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring classics – without breaking the bank. The project is extremely attractive for Porsche. Endurance racing is part of our brand’s DNA.”

Porsche, who has the most Le Mans wins (19) and won the WEC championship three years in a row, according to Reuters, made the decision to leave the championship at the end of the 2017 season. The automaker now hopes to pick up where it left off and continue on that winning streak.

“We hold a record with our 19 outright wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and we’ve climbed to the top podium step many times at major races in the USA,” said Vice President Motorsport, Fritz Enzinger.

“I hope we can pick up where we left off with the famous clashes against many other marques in the 1980s and 90s. That would give the entire motor racing scene a huge boost,” Enzinger added.

Porsche is returning to the top class of Le Mans with an LMDh prototype that it hopes will write its next successful chapter in sportscar racing. But it will have to go some to emulate its 956/962, a car which defines the Group C age more than any otherhttps://t.co/OHpPYP0R2l

— Autosport (@autosport) December 16, 2020

Picture: Porsche Newsroom