Vanthoor to scale back IMSA commitment with Porsche in 2027, Heinrich to go full time

Credit: Porsche Motorsport

Porsche Penske Motorsport are already putting the pieces together for their 2027 IMSA efforts, with veteran Laurens Vanthoor set to set back to an endurance cup only schedule, with rising star Laurin Heinrich to take his place.

This season, Heinrich has been in the role Vanthoor will fill, contesting only the endurance rounds for Porsche Penske. He has also been contesting the sprint rounds with JDC Miller Motorsports 2025 Porsche 963, with which he took victory last weekend at Laguna Seca with a thrilling last lap pass.

"Porsche has played a fundamental role in my racing career right from the start. I therefore feel a strong connection to the company and am delighted to be competing for the IMSA title with Porsche Penske Motorsport in 2027.” said the German.

Vanthoor has spent the last 10 years of his career driving for the German manufacturer, now choosing to step back and become the third-driver for the team in IMSA.

In a post on his X account, Vanthoor said "I am incredibly proud to announce that my journey with Porsche Motorsport will continue into 2027! It’s been an unbelievable ride so far, and I’m honoured to remain part of the Porsche Penske Motorsport team in IMSA.

"For 2027, I’ll be taking on a new role as the third driver for the endurance rounds. This change will allow me to focus on other dreams I still have left to achieve in my career

"We’ve built an incredible list of victories together, and the goal is to add a few more "big ones" to that tally next year."

However, reports from Sportscar365 indicate that the Belgian driver may be heading to another LMDh manufacturer on loan next season, believed to be McLaren. An announcement of the loan could come as early as this week.