19th Pole for Porsche at Le Mans

The 6 Hours of Fuji marks a major milestone in the World Endurance Championship this coming weekend: The race in Japan will be the 100th since the FIA WEC’s debut at the start of the 2012 season. Porsche has competed at every round on the world’s premier endurance racing stage. Thanks to 21 outright victories and more than 50 class wins, the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer is among the most successful brands in the WEC.

Riding the momentum of the Porsche 963’s first overall win of the 2025 WEC season in Austin, Texas, the Porsche Penske Motorsport factory team heads into the penultimate round brimming with confidence. The squad has particularly fond memories of Japan: in 2024, Kévin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor and André Lotterer triumphed on Fuji’s Formula 1 circuit, securing their second win of the season and paving the way to the world championship crown. “We’re determined to build on that success and keep closing the gap in the manufacturers’ standings,” says Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport.

The Porsche Penske Motorsport factory team will once again field two Porsche 963 prototypes. The number 5 car will be shared by Frenchman Julien Andlauer and his compatriot Mathieu Jaminet, who replaces Danish driver Michael Christensen. In the sister car, French driver Kévin Estre joins forces with Belgium’s Laurens Vanthoor. The Proton Competition customer outfit will also tackle the top Hypercar class with an identical hybrid prototype. In the LMGT3 category, Manthey 1st Phorm aims to take another step towards the title with the Porsche 911 GT3 R, while the Iron Dames are targeting their first podium finish of the season in another 911.