Porsche’s last Hypercar link to 24 Hours of Le Mans cut

Porsche Penske Motorsport earlier this year announced its exit from the world championship, pulling its two Hypercars out after three unsuccessful seasons.

The team has instead redirected its motorsport focus to the FIA Formula E World Championship and the IMSA SportsCar Championship, the latter where it will race two Porsche 963 Hypercars.

Proton has been a Porsche Hypercar customer since 2024, running a single 963.

There was already some doubt cast over Proton’s participation in the championship, given the requirement for each Hypercar manufacturer to field a minimum of two cars.

Although its results haven’t been stellar, Proton has grown something of a following by way of its retro FAT livery synonymous with the Porsche 962.

In a statement, Proton labelled the decision to exit the FIA World Endurance Championship a “sobering outcome” following weeks of negotiations.

The decision means there will not be any Porsche presence in the Hypercar class at the 2026 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Proton Competition bosses, Christian Reid and Michael Reid, said it was “not possible to reach an agreement with Porsche” to enter the championship privately.

“We would like to thank all of our partners and supporters who have fought so hard over the past few weeks to realise this project,” said team owner Christian Ried.

“We gave it everything, but unfortunately it was not possible to find a solution together with Porsche.

“We feel particularly sorry for Porsche fans, who won’t be able to see a 963 on the grid in the FIA WEC or at Le Mans.

“Endurance racing has always been a part of Porsche’s DNA, and that was a huge source of motivation as we attempted to reach an agreement with them.”

“Without partners like Ferdi Porsche and F.A.T., Mustang Sampling and Ken and Brenda Thompson, we would never have been able to get this project up and running – so our thanks go to them.

“The ACO and LMEM also supported us right until the very end in our quest to remain in the Hypercar class.”

Proton said the decision to exit the top FIA World Endurance Championship class does not impact its other programs. The team is expected to continue in the world championship with its Ford Mustang GT3 pair in the LMGT3 class.