The IMSA gauntlet: Why Daytona is Porsche's first true test of focus
- Ghazlan Atqiya Firmansyah
- 2 hours ago
- 7 min read
Following its exit from the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), Porsche's IMSA GTP programme now bears the full pressure for the marque's prototype ambitions. The 2026 IMSA season and the upcoming 24 Hours of Daytona will be a true test to validate its decision.
The return of a familiar name
Porsche left WEC at the end of the 2017 season, after three consecutive LMP1 Manufacturers' Champions titles with the mighty 919 Hybrid, to focus on Formula E.
In 2020, Porsche announced its decision to return to WEC and compete in IMSA, starting in 2023, with its LMDh challenger, which eventually became known as the 963.
At the time, Oliver Blume, Porsche AG's CEO, said: "The new LMDh category allows us to fight for overall victories with a hybrid system at the Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring classics without breaking the bank.
"The project is extremely attractive for Porsche. Endurance racing is part of our brand’s DNA."
As one of the most illustrious manufacturers in the endurance racing scene, Porsche boasts multiple prototype titles and 19 wins in Le Mans, the most of any manufacturer. And its return to prototype racing was welcomed by many.
The 963 made its debut during IMSA's 2023 24 Hours of Daytona, but its debut was disappointing due to extensive issues that plagued both cars, leaving only the No.7 to score points.
Neither car made it to the finish line during the 12 Hours of Sebring due to accidents. But the 963 eventually took its first victory at Long Beach, followed by two more victories at Road America and Indianapolis as the manufacturer finished the season in second place.
Porsche Penske Motorsport (PPM) finished fifth and sixth for its WEC return at the 2023 1000 Miles of Sebring. Despite taking two podiums that year and third in the Hypercar Manufacturers' Championship, they were still far from the likes of Toyota and Ferrari.
At their annual "Night of Champions" event at the end of 2023, Blume stated that Porsche always learn from their setbacks due to their fighting spirit. His statement was a signal that the brand is reaffirming its commitment to its racing programme.
Michael Steiner, a Board Member for Research and Development at Porsche AG, said: "With the FIA WEC, the IMSA series and Formula E, we take on three fantastic championships.
"We’re strongly represented here with Andretti (Formula E), JDC-Miller, Proton, Jota and our works teams. With more manufacturers coming on board, it’ll be extremely exciting, especially in the World Endurance Championship and at Le Mans."
2024 and 2025 seasons: Statements and decline
It was in 2024 that the 963 truly made a name for itself. In IMSA, PPM secured a clean sweep of the GTP titles (Drivers', Teams', and Manufacturers'). Their No.6 crew (Estre, Lotterer and Vanthoor) clinched the Hypercar World Endurance Drivers' Championship in WEC, though Porsche was ultimately beaten by Toyota for the Hypercar Manufacturers' title.
At the end of 2024, Laudenbach said: "It was an incredibly successful year.
"With the Porsche 963 and our global team, Porsche Penske Motorsport, we won seven out of eight possible titles in a very strong competitive environment. That fills me with great pride.
"This result is a well-deserved reward for the hard work of everyone involved at the racetracks, at our team locations in Mannheim and Mooresville and in the development department in Weissach. We brought the Porsche 963 and the entire program to the top within a short period of time."
Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director, Porsche Penske Motorsport, targeted a win at Le Mans as the main objective for the 963 in 2025.
"Victory or podium finishes at Daytona, Qatar, and Spa do not necessarily mean success at Le Mans.
"The goal for 2025 is therefore clearly defined: we want the victory in Le Mans! Next year, Porsche Penske Motorsport will take part in the world’s largest endurance race in France with at least two factory entries. Everyone involved wants to further extend Porsche's record at Le Mans with a 20th overall win."
In the 2025 IMSA season, the 963 started its campaign strongly with the No.7 car taking Porsche's second consecutive 24 Hours of Daytona victory after an intense battle with its sister car, the No.6.
The success at Daytona was followed by three more victories afterwards. But IMSA was quick to make adjustments via Balance of Performance (BoP) to allow the rest of the field to catch up. While Porsche took the GTP titles once more, they spent the second half of the season battling to stay ahead of the surging pace of Acura and Cadillac.
Roger Penske, Founder and Chairman of Penske Corporation, said: "I am extremely proud of the commitment and effort by our entire Porsche Penske Motorsport team.
"Winning the 24 Hours of Daytona two times in a row, along with the other key races and back-to-back IMSA championships, wouldn’t have happened without the hard work and long hours by the men and women on our team.
"It’s a remarkable moment for our organisation and our 5+ decades with Porsche."
Unfortunately, in WEC, Porsche struggled to replicate their success from 2024. They needed to wait until Le Mans for their first podium and the Lone Star Le Mans for their only win that year. They could not defend their title from the previous year, and Toyota took second from them in the Manufacturers' Championship.
Second WEC exit leads to more pressure on IMSA programme
In October 2025, Porsche AG announced changes in its motorsport programme. As part of its comprehensive realignment, the German manufacturer confirmed their exit from the FIA World Endurance Championship to focus on IMSA and Formula E.
The circumstances surrounding the company prevented Porsche from continuing to campaign the 963 globally. Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President of Porsche Motorsport, made it clear that the brand wants to continue to fight for overall victories in the future.
This is the first time since the launch of the 963 programme that the full PPM effort now faces even more pressure to succeed in IMSA. Without the resource and travel split for global racing, the performance scrutiny in North America is as high as it has ever been.
When the cars took to the track for the Roar, their performance would not be just measured against their updated rivals, but also against the colossal expectation of the Porsche name, now fully dedicated to the North American stage.
Running a top-tier factory prototype programme in two premier endurance racing series comes with a massive logistical and regulations headache. Without committing to WEC, the entire operations and resources can now be entirely dedicated to optimising their performance in IMSA.
For Porsche and Penske, this frees up significant budget and development time. The resources that were previously dedicated to WEC's BoP and demands can now be used to improve the 963s that compete in IMSA.
Porsche's WEC exit is an advantage to its IMSA programme as the IMSA 963s will receive full attention from the manufacturer and the team. Focusing on optimising their car is the key needed to reassert their dominance and meet the new expectations placed upon the now-unburdened programme.
Porsche has no excuses not to perform in Daytona and the IMSA championship
Despite two consecutive Daytona victories and a GTP titles sweep last season, the BoP, an integral feature to ensure a competitive GTP field, ensures that past success will act as a burden.
Every strong result will be met with technical scrutiny to allow others to close the gap. This was demonstrated in the second half of the 2025 season, where Porsche lost its earlier advantage to Acura and Cadillac.
The field Porsche will face in Daytona and the rest of the IMSA season is fully optimised. Cadillac, which mostly played catch-up to Porsche in 2024, returns with an updated V-Series.R and a solid driver lineup to reclaim its throne.
Action Express Racing driver Jack Aitken spoke highly of the updates: "We’ve had a smooth rollout with the EVO package, and it’s gone pretty much as expected, which is a surprise.
"We’ve picked up from last year; we’ve always had a pretty strong car at Daytona, and the characteristics are pretty much the same. It’s just a few small tweaks here and there. We’re still learning a few intricate details about the package. We’re broadly there, which is nice."
Acura, last season's runner-up, enters the 2026 season with an updated aero package for its ARX-06. Speaking about the revised car, David Salters, President of Honda Racing Corporation USA, noted: "This will be the fourth year of competition for our Acura ARX-06, and so we have a few improvements on the car.
"We made some aero changes to the dive planes, as well as the splitter and the rear of the car. And then some side pod and engine cover changes because of the new exhaust regulations. Our team has been working really hard to make these improvements, and so far, so good."
A strong statement in Daytona is a crucial test to validate Porsche's realignment strategy. A failure to perform will not only result in a typical post-race disappointment but also a direct questioning of the boardroom decision to pull the factory commitment from the global stage.
PPM now operates as a single, focused entity to win in IMSA. They have all the necessary resources, the champion drivers, and the dominant car of the last two seasons. Showing up and performing is the priority.
In Daytona, the pressure on PPM would not be measured in kilowatts or kilograms, but in the weight of their own history, the consequences of a massive corporate realignment, and the expectation of a third straight win that signals to the world that the singular focus on IMSA GTP was the only logical path forward.
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