Despite major structural changes sweeping across Porsche AG as part of its newly negotiated corporate reorganization, Porsche Motorsport boss Thomas Laudenbach confirms that the manufacturer’s top-tier sports car racing commitments remain firmly on track.
Addressing questions regarding the Porsche Penske Motorsport program, Laudenbach confirmed its two-car IMSA GTP effort will continue as planned.
“That is correct,” Laudenbach said. “Nothing has changed on that.”
Navigating Corporate Shifts and Budgets
Laudenbach’s comments arrive during a period of significant strategic recalibration for the parent automaker. On July 27, Porsche AG announced its comprehensive "Future Package" – the foundation of its broader "Sportwagenschmiede 35" strategy.
The package includes a cumulative €2.1 billion ($2.39 billion) investment in facilities at Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen and Weissach through 2035, alongside employment protection guarantees. However, to boost productivity and reduce operational overhead, the agreement outlines a socially responsible reduction of 5,000 jobs by 2035 via natural attrition, voluntary severances, and expanded partial retirement programs. These reductions follow previous cuts, including 3,900 positions eliminated in early 2025 and 500 jobs lost through subsidiary closures. Additional measures defer 3.5% of salary increases, cap remote work, and reduce annual Christmas bonuses.
Concurrently, Porsche is softening its initial aggressive EV adoption targets, extending production life cycles for internal combustion engines and hybrid systems side-by-side with electric models.
When asked how this evolving corporate environment impacts the motorsport division, Laudenbach acknowledged that budgets and strategies are continuously evaluated, though the core program decisions remain intact.
“We do evolve,” Laudenbach said. “We have to look at it. I mean, it's not a secret. And, of course, we look at this. But so far, there is no change concerning our decisions. So that doesn't mean that we do not evolve. That doesn't mean that we do not discuss. That doesn't mean that we do not seriously also look at budgets and everything. But the decision is still there.”
Eyes on 2030 Technical Rules
Looking beyond current commitments, governing bodies IMSA, the ACO, and the FIA recently outlined plans for a unified, single-platform technical regulation for top-tier prototype racing starting in 2030. The single-platform transition aims to reduce performance development costs while harmonizing rules across both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
When asked by Motorsport.com how Porsche AG’s newly revealed “Future Package”—which runs through 2035—might impact its short- and long-term racing strategy surrounding the upcoming 2030 regulatory landscape, Laudenbach emphasized that the automaker remains active in shaping the sport's future.
“What we do is right now, of course, and that's what we always said,” Laudenbach said. “Just the fact that we are not racing WEC right now does not mean that we have turned, generally, our back to endurance racing. Secondly, Le Mans is the biggest endurance race in the world, I would say. And, of course, we are participating in the talks about the 2030 rules. And we are happy that we are invited. We are happy to give our contribution.
“And, let's say, we are happy to, together with the other manufacturers, with the sanctioning body, with IMSA, ACO, and FIA, really to work on the future of motorsport. Got nothing to do with the decision. But, generally, of course, we are trying to contribute to get to a good set of rules for the future.”
"Two Wins Are Not Enough"
Porsche Penske Motorsport enjoyed early-season marquee victories, taking top honors at both the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the Twelve Hours of Sebring. However, sustaining peak performance across varying track layouts and regulations presents an ongoing challenge.
When Motorsport.com followed up and asked how he gauges a successful season when reporting back to the board when the maximum result possible can change, largely due to how various regulation changes, such as technical parity adjustments, can limit the maximum performance, Laudenbach made clear that early marquee wins do not satisfy the team's long-term standards.
“Not an easy answer,” Laudenbach said. “So, very clear. Very clear. I think we won two of the most important races of the season, which is Daytona. Daytona three times in a row. And Sebring. I think Sebring in quite a good way, how we did it. Tick box, great. When we talk about a successful season, two wins are not enough. There needs to be more.
“We are not happy with how the season after that went, due to various reasons. We are not happy about that. But, I mean, we are racers, we never stop fighting. Same as here (at Road America). I mean, even if we looked at, I think we are roughly a second off in qualifying, which is disappointing. That doesn't mean that we don't fight. Sure, we want to win races, and in the end hopefully we can make it a successful season. So far, we had two good races. It's not enough.”
