Porsche will withdraw its factory operation from the GTP class of the IMSA SportsCar Championship at the end of 2027, according to Motorsport.com's sister title Motorsport-Total.com.
This stems from a decision made a year ago. Under the original contract, Penske would have continued running Porsche's 963 LMDh on a factory basis for one more season in both IMSA and the World Endurance Championship before the programme came to an end.
However, during negotiations over the winding down of the programme, Porsche decided to terminate its Hypercar effort, including the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans, at the end of 2025. In return, Penske was allowed to compete as Porsche's factory team in the US for one year longer than originally planned.
The decision also made sense for the Volkswagen Group brand. In the WEC, Porsche felt it had little chance of competing against the superior Le Mans Hypercars (LMH) with its LMDh prototype, while the US remains a key market for the company.
But how does Porsche view the current situation? "We will be competing in IMSA with our factory programme in 2027. We will not comment on any further speculation," a Porsche spokesperson told Motorsport-Total.com when asked about the matter.
Will Penske switch to another manufacturer despite its Porsche contract?
The most intriguing developments are taking place behind the scenes at Penske. The organisation founded by motorsport legend Roger Penske is exploring the possibility of returning to the WEC - and Le Mans - as early as next year with a privately-entered Cadillac.
That would make sense, as few things matter more to 89-year-old Penske than winning the French endurance classic outright. The victory remains missing from the resume of the hugely successful motorsport executive.
Currently, Jota runs a pair of Cadillac V-Series.R on a factory basis in the WEC, including at Le Mans. IMSA regular Action Express will also compete at Le Mans with a Cadillac in 2027. Wayne Taylor Racing, however, will not return next year after entering a car in both 2025 and 2026.
In theory, that would leave room in the field for a fourth, privately entered Cadillac run by Penske.
#7: Porsche Penske Motorsports, Porsche 963, GTP: Roger Penske
Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images
What speaks against a full WEC season for Penske with Cadillac
The question is what consequences such a move would have. Would Penske be allowed to run a privately entered Cadillac in another series alongside its Porsche commitments, or would that violate its contract with Porsche? And could Penske even switch to Cadillac in IMSA as early as 2027?
According to information obtained by Motorsport-Total.com, a Penske Cadillac entry at Le Mans in 2027 is highly likely. A full WEC season, however, would probably come too soon, particularly as the team would have to enter two cars, as required under the regulations.
Porsche's statement suggests that its IMSA programme will also continue in 2027. And according to reports, there is no alternative to Penske as the team's factory partner. That does not suggest the US outfit will switch to Cadillac in IMSA before the end of its Porsche commitment.
One important point should not be overlooked: Even if Porsche's factory programme ends early, that would not automatically mean the Porsche 963 disappears from IMSA. The prototype, developed by Multimatic, can continue to be raced by privateer teams. JDC-Miller ran a 2025-spec 963 in IMSA this year and won a race at Laguna Seca with Laurin Heinrich and Tijmen van der Helm.
Could Porsche return to the WEC with a prototype?
A potential prototype comeback by Porsche in the top class of the WEC and at Le Mans in the medium term has not been ruled out.
At this year's Le Mans, the organisers provided an early view into what the Hypercar/GTP class could look like in 2030. Rather than balancing the two existing concepts - Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) and LMDh - against each other through Balance of Performance, the series will adopt a common technical rulebook. BoP is still expected to be used to equalise cars built by different manufacturers.
Cadillac and Porsche are regarded as driving forces behind these discussions, although that does not necessarily mean either manufacturer will return.
"A decision on whether, when and how we will return has not been made, but we are involved in the discussions," Porsche motorsport boss Thomas Laudenbach confirms.
"And when you are at the table as a manufacturer discussing technical regulations, you have to look at them from a technical perspective. And that is what we are doing."
However, Porsche is not working on a new car at this stage.
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