Porsche criticizes the fact that the competition has not yet brought customer cars to the start – Currently, the manufacturers are well represented, but that could change …
Porsche was the only manufacturer in the hypercar class to supply its LMDh cars to customer teams in the 2023 season of the World Endurance Championship (WEC). Two teams, Jota and Proton, competed in the WEC with the Porsche 963. The competition from Toyota, Ferrari and Peugeot did not include customer cars. “That’s a shame,” criticized Porsche Sport boss Thomas Laudenbach.
“I don’t know what the other manufacturers have planned. All I can say is that we have a long history with customers, including in the top class,” says Laudenbach, recalling the manufacturer’s successful customer racing history.
However, it is not easy for a manufacturer to support the customer teams. “That doesn’t make life any easier for us,” emphasizes the Porsche Head of Sport. “Not in the sense that we have to provide service, which involves a lot of effort. And not in the sense that our own customers are beating us. At the same time, we do everything we can to provide them with a good car.”
“I think it’s a bit of a shame that none of the other manufacturers offer customer cars.” While Toyota and Peugeot are leaving everything as it is for 2024, Ferrari is planning to use a third 499P as a customer car, with AF Corse, who are also responsible for the two works cars, taking care of this
“Customers will be important in the future “
With Alpine, BMW, Lamborghini and Isotta Fraschini joining them next year, the legitimate question arises as to whether further customer teams are even necessary. “Yes, if you look at the product range, you could perhaps say that we don’t need customer cars. We have enough manufacturers,” admits Laudenbach.
“But I’ve been in the business long enough. It’s hard for me to imagine that we’ll have so many manufacturers in the championship in the next ten years,” says the experienced motorsport engineer, looking to the future. “I don’t know if anyone can remember a decade with so many [manufacturers]. I certainly don’t. It’s never happened before. “
“We love endurance racing and we all want to make sure that endurance racing lives on for quite a while,” warns Laudenbach that “the day will come” when customer teams suddenly become important. “Then everyone will be happy that we have a customer. That’s why we should treat them well in good times. And we are the only ones who do that. “
963-Updates: “Customers have to pay, of course “
But that doesn’t mean that the customer teams will be spoiled. Porsche is planning various updates for the 963 for 2024, from which customers will also benefit. But: “If they are new parts, they have to pay for them, of course,” Laudenbach clarifies. “That is a very clear philosophy.”
“We have a very good philosophy because I believe that we treat our customers really fairly,” says the Porsche Sport boss. This is especially true “if something is not working properly and we have to make a change”. However, Porsche does not simply give the changes away.
“I mean, can you imagine someone making an Evo that they give away to all their customers?” says Laudenbach. “I’ve never seen that before.” Nevertheless, the customer teams will always have the same material at their disposal as the works team. “They have to comply with the regulations. We have to adhere to the regulations. And that is also a clear philosophy, so it fits quite well. “
