The 8 Hours of Bahrain marked the provisional end of Porsche’s factory involvement in the World Endurance Championship (WEC). The exit came as a shock in 2025 and seems like a strange foreign body in the countless success stories of the hypercar class.
The exit, as can be read between the lines in conversations with Porsche representatives, was not solely due to the brand’s economic problems. The frustration over what Porsche believes to be a lack of equal opportunities between LMH and LMDh cars and the lack of progress in aligning the concepts were important components in the decision to prefer IMSA to WEC.
This was anything but well received by the ACO. After the hypercar regulations always seemed to be going uphill, the exit doesn’t fit into the picture at all. The fact that Porsche then also gives preference to IMSA is a clear sign. An exit from both series would probably have been easy for the ACO to cope with.
The sting is correspondingly deep. How deep was shown at the WEC season-ending party in Zallaq following the finale at the Bahrain International Circuit.
While Jenson Button and long-time WEC photographer Andrew “Skippy? Hall, who has a very impressive and inspiring story due to his physical limitations, received a fitting farewell, Porsche Penske Motorsport was not mentioned in a single syllable at the awards. The only time Porsche was mentioned was at the LMGT3 awards ceremony.
However, the opponents who regretted the Porsche exit were all the more talkative. Motorsport-Total.com and its English-language sister platform Motorsport.com Global asked numerous competitors what they had to say about Porsche’s retirement.
Ferrari
Ferdinando Cannizzo, Head of Endurance Race Cars at Ferrari, said in Bahrain that Porsche’s exit meant a significant change for the WEC. At the same time, he hopes that the long-standing competitor – in automobile manufacturing as well as in motorsports – will return in the coming years.
“This is not good news – neither for the championship, nor for the sport, nor for us,” he says. “We respect our competitor’s decision, but our wish is to see Porsche again in the next few years.
“Porsche and Ferrari are the two manufacturers with the greatest tradition in endurance racing. It would be a dream for all the brands in the paddock to have Porsche there again.”
Antonello Coletta, Global Head of Endurance and Corse Clienti, adds: “When my colleagues from Porsche came to me to congratulate me on the title, I replied that it is very important for us if they come back soon. Because if we have more competitors, that is better than fewer, that is clear.”
Alpine
Alpine team boss Philippe Sinault agrees with this assessment, but also points out the difficult conditions that automobile manufacturers are currently facing:
“It’s certainly bad news. A brand like Porsche is simply part of the long haul. Alpine is looking for competition. In the history of Alpine there has always been this fight with Porsche – in rallying and in the endurance sector. When we got the information, we were very sad.”
“But this is part of the new reality, especially in the automotive industry. Sometimes companies decide to end a program.”
Toyota
The rivalry between Porsche, Toyota and Audi shaped the LMP1 era, with the three manufacturers dominating the class in the mid-2010s. With Porsche’s entry into the hypercar class, the duel with Toyota was reignited. In 2024, both brands shared the driver and manufacturer championships.
Kazuki Nakajima, Vice President of Toyota Gazoo Racing, said of the Stuttgart-based company’s decision: “It’s sad news. At the same time, we’ve been lucky enough to be able to compete against such a big brand over the past three years. It was an honor for us.”
Cadillac
In addition to the factory operation together with Penske, Porsche also delivered customer vehicles to teams in IMSA and WEC. The most successful so far has been Jota Sport, which used the 963 in the hypercar class in 2023 and 2024 before the team entered into a factory cooperation with Cadillac for the 2025 season.
Jota team boss Dieter Gass describes the withdrawal as a shame for the WEC. “Porsche is simply part of endurance racing. The brand has been there for so long. It is a name that is important for the series – for the market and for the championship. That’s why it’s a shame.”
“And personally, I think it’s a shame that project manager Urs Kuratle, with whom I’ve had a lot to do in recent years, will no longer be part of the championship. He’s a racer who’s really good to work with.”
BMW
After Audi, Porsche is already the second German manufacturer to end its hypercar program. This means that BMW will be the only German works team in the top class of the WEC in 2026. “To be honest, I’m sad,” says Andreas Roos. “It’s a shame that Porsche is leaving, because Porsche has always been a great competitor.
“It’s particularly unfortunate for us as a German manufacturer – we are now the only Germans in hypercars. We of course hope that they will come back at some point. Porsche has an enormous tradition in endurance and GT racing. They still have the most overall victories at Le Mans.”
“That’s why it’s sad to see them go. But given the difficult situation in the automotive industry, some decisions are understandable. We also have to remain realistic.”
Porsche had worked with Team Penske for its hypercar comeback and competed in both the WEC and IMSA GTP. Roger Penske himself had one goal: to finally take the outstanding overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This goal remains unfulfilled for now after Porsche was narrowly beaten by Ferrari at Le Mans 2025.
WRT team boss Vincent Vosse, whose team switched to BMW after Audi’s canceled LMDh project, regrets the loss in two ways: Porsche and Penske.
“You have to stay positive – there are enough manufacturers in the championship. But there is only one Porsche,” says Vosse. “Hardly any manufacturer has contributed so much to the history of endurance racing. And losing a team like Penske, which has been the benchmark for me over the past two years, is also bitter.
“I’m sorry for Roger Penske that he can’t continue to fight for victory at Le Mans. I respect him very much and what he has built. And of course it’s bad news that Porsche is leaving. It’s not just about the number of cars, but about who leaves the series – a team and a manufacturer.”
Porsche and BMW will continue to fight against each other in the IMSA SportsCar Championship. WRT and Penske will also meet there again, as the Belgian team will take over RLL’s BMW campaign.