Laudenbach: Porsche is "determined to return to winning ways" in Indianapolis

The No.6 Porsche 963 of Penske Motorsport | Credit: Porsche Newsroom

With the 2025 IMSA SportsCar Championship nearing its ultimate conclusion with the upcoming penultimate round, Porsche aims to defend their Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) Manufacturers' Championship lead and their title from last year at home in Indianapolis.

Indianapolis: Track full of fond memories for Porsche

Owned by Penske Entertainment Group, Indianapolis Motor Speedway is home to Porsche Penske Motorsport. Despite currently being on a winless streak since Monterey, they are leading the Manufacturers' Championship ahead of Acura by 45 points.

The "Brickyard" holds fond memories for Porsche as they finished 1–2 in 2023 with the No.6 car driven by Mathieu Jaminet and Nick Tandy winning the race.

Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President of Porsche Motorsport, says the manufacturer is keen to return to winning ways in IMSA after taking victory in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) round in Austin.

"Building on our WEC season win in Austin, we’re determined to return to our winning ways in the IMSA championship.

"Our team and drivers have consistently made the most of the conditions from each race, but unfortunately, a win has eluded us. At our Penske home race in Indianapolis, we hope to see the Porsche 963 back at the front.

"We know our hybrid prototype and this legendary circuit complement each other perfectly, which is why we aim to take another step towards defending the title this weekend."

The No.6 car that took the victory in Lone Star Le Mans | Credit: Porsche Newsroom

Urs Kuratle, Director Factory Motorsport LMDh, said that the endurance rounds suited the 963 well and hoped that they could compete with other rivals on equal ground.

"We’re hoping for a level playing field in Indianapolis.

"If we can compete with our rivals on equal performance terms, then strategy, pit work and driver skill will be decisive. In all these disciplines, we are well-positioned."

Jonathan Diuguid, Porsche Penske Motorsport's Managing Director, said that both cars are worthy of winning the title, and it is up to the team to give them the necessary tools to win in Indianapolis.

"We have proven that both of our crews are worthy of winning the championship.

"The task now is to ensure that they’re given the tools to take the crown. The team has been outstanding all year, making intelligent strategy calls, executing perfect pit stops and never giving up through tough on-track battles.

"We now need to once again maximise the performance potential of our Porsche 963 and take full points at Indianapolis before heading to the finale at Petit Le Mans."

Both of their cars are also locked in a tight battle of their own, with the No.6 leading the sister car by 75 points in the Teams' Championship.

The importance of keeping the championship alive

No.6's Matt Campbell argued that the track suits the 963's strengths well. The Australian driver hopes to finish this race without any issues and hopes to extend his lead in the championship before the final round.

"The IMSA season wraps up with two major endurance races.

"We have consistently performed well in Indianapolis since 2023, and the track suits us perfectly. I hope we can finish the race without issues.

"Our focus is on defending the championship lead and ideally extending our advantage before we head to the season finale at Road Atlanta. We’re looking at the bigger picture and will avoid taking any unnecessary risks."

The No.7 car | Credit: Porsche Newsroom

Felipe Nasr from the No.7 car aims to right the course after a difficult couple of races. The Brazilian wants a solid week for his side of the garage to keep their championship alive until the finale.

"I’m looking forward to being back in the Porsche 963 for the ‘Battle on the Bricks’.

"Indianapolis is such a unique track and always guarantees plenty of action throughout the field. The most important thing is to have a solid week with the No.7 crew and keep our championship fight alive.

"We’ve had two tough results, which we’re putting behind us, and we’re eager to get back on top."

Nico Müller returns to the 963 cockpit with JDC–Miller

Last year, fellow Porsche entrant JDC–Miller MotorSports inherited third place after the No.6 car was moved to the back of the GTP grid for a modification of its homologated wiring harness.

The No.85 JDC-Miller MotorSports 963 | Credit: Porsche Newsroom

For the final two rounds, they welcomed the return of Porsche factory driver, Nico Müller, to the cockpit of the No.85 car after last appearing for them in Sebring. The Swiss driver would team up with full-time driver Tijmen van der Helm.

"During my stint with JDC-Miller MotorSports at Sebring, we delivered strong performances throughout parts of the race.

"I now aim to build on that momentum. Hopefully, together we can make further progress and achieve strong results at Indianapolis this weekend and in October at Road Atlanta. I’m really looking forward to both upcoming endurance races."