Image via Porsche
Porsche Formula E driver Pascal Wehrlein has been announced as the final driver for the Porsche 963 in the upcoming 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. The announcement means the third factory Porsche Penske Motorsport Hypercar entry has a full team ahead of the race in June as excitement starts to build.
Dale Earnhardt’s grandson has snagged his first victory in asphalt stock car racing.
In an official announcement, Porsche notes Wehrlein, who is a German and Mauritian driver, is already familiar with the 963 after spending time behind the wheel in test sessions and 24 Hours of Daytona.
However, Wehrlein has never participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, so this will be his first outing in what many consider the ultimate endurance contest.
The man isn’t exactly a newbie to motorsports. Not only is he the reigning Formula E World Champion, he’s a former DTM Champion and has participated in races in a number of series.
“The Porsche driver roster is absolutely top-tier and incredibly deep. 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,” said Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport, in an official press release.
“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.”
Sharing the load with Wehrlein will be two teammates with experience at Le Mans: Flipe Nasr and Nick Tandy. They snagged the top podium spot at two major North American endurance classics at Daytona and Sebring while piloting the Porsche 963, so they’ll be able to help Wehrlein learn the ropes.
Plus, Tandy has been called “Mr. 24 Hours” after completing the Grand Slam of endurance racing. He’s achieved overall victories not only at the 24 Hours of Le Mans but also the IMSA season opener in Florida, the Nurburgring 24 Hours, and the Spa-Francorchamps GT3 endurance classic. He’s raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans 12 times.
Nasr is a three-time IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship titleholder.
Image via Porsche
