As first revealed by Formula E Notebook last December reigning Formula E champion Pascal Wehrlein had significant Le Mans ambitions. Those dreams have become a reality today after confirmation that he will make his debut at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans in June after being confirmed alongside recent Daytona and Sebring winners Felipe Nasr and Nick Tandy in the third factory Porsche Penske 963 Hypercar.
Wehrlein first sampled the Porsche 963 Hybrid when it was development testing in 2023 and then raced at the 24 Hours of Daytona with the JDC-Miller Motorsports squad where he finished fifth.
Itn will be a busy upcoming period for Wehrlein who will not only take part in pre-Le Mans testing but will also race at Tokyo, Shanghai and Jakarta in the weeks either side of the Le Mans test day and race week itself.
“The Porsche driver roster is absolutely top-tier and incredibly deep,” commented Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport.
“It only makes sense to leverage our strong personnel from the Formula E factory team for the third Porsche Penske Motorsport entry at Le Mans.
“Pascal Wehrlein has fully convinced us with his performance in testing and his participation in the 24 Hours of Daytona. As the reigning Formula E World Champion, he has earned his Le Mans debut at the wheel of a Porsche 963.”
Wehrlein’s Formula E teammate Antonio Felix da Costa will take part in his seventh Le Mans with the AF Corse LMP2 team. The Portuguese driver is a former Le Mans LMP2 champion having won in 2023 alongside Roberto Gonzalez and Will Stevens in a JOTA Oreca-Gibson.
Da Costa and Porsche have a complex history with regards to his endurance racing ambitions. In October 2023 he was effectively barred from racing endurance in 2024, which in turn fostered and began a tense period in 2024 between the two.
Now, da Costa, after a strong start to the Formula E season heads Wehrlein in the standings but seemingly missed out on utilising his endurance racing experience in driving for the Porsche factory team.
Wehrlein though is relishing his opportunity, saying that “competing for Porsche Penske Motorsport at Le Mans is a dream come true for me. I`m looking forward to this major challenge because, unlike in Formula E, I have to share everything in the Porsche 963 that I would normally tailor specifically to myself: seating position, setup, strategy, and more.
“Of course, I want to add major titles in other series to my Formula E World Championship victory, but my primary goal is to do a strong job for the team and learn as much as possible. Porsche has such an iconic motorsport heritage; I am extremely grateful for this opportunity,” concluded Wehrlein.
