Porsche Penske Motorsport confirmed a change to its lineup plans for the 2027 season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, with Laurin Heinrich taking over a full-time seat of one of the team’s factory Porsche 963s while Laurens Vanthoor will only contest the endurance rounds.
Heinrich, 24, is fresh off a stellar performance last Sunday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, where he pulled off a furious charge complete with a last-lap pass to give JDC-Miller MotorSports the victory, marking the first Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) win for a privateer in the series.
The German, who also took victories an an endurance-add on in the #7 PPM Porsche 963 alongside Julien Andlaure and Felipe Nasr at Daytona and Sebring to start the year, currently leads the championship standings. The chance for Heinrich to remain there is in doubt, though, as he will miss the endurance round at Watkins Glen due to a class with the 24 Hours of Spa.
“Porsche has played a fundamental role in my racing career right from the start,” Heinrich said.
”I therefore feel a strong connection to the company and am delighted to be competing for the IMSA title with Porsche Penske Motorsport in 2027.”
Meanwhile, next year’s reduced role for Vanthoor, who currently co-drives alongside Kevin Estre in the #6 Porsche 963, is a welcomed one for the Belgian. Additionally, Vanthoor is also expected to be announced soon as part of McLaren's Hypercar program in the FIA World Endurance Championship next year.
“My journey as a Porsche factory driver has brought me tremendous success over the past ten years, and I am very grateful for that,” said Vanthoor, 34. “Together, we want to win more trophies and titles. “Nevertheless, I personally have a big dream that I would like to pursue.
“At the same time, I am very happy for Laurin Heinrich that he will be joining the permanent IMSA roster at Porsche Penske Motorsport in 2027. He absolutely deserves this opportunity.”
