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Estre and Vanthoor spearhead revised Porsche IMSA GTP squad

Estre and Vanthoor spearhead revised Porsche IMSA GTP squad

Tim Fullbrook
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Porsche Penske Motorsport have confirmed their 2026 IMSA GTP driver lineups, with 2024 WEC Hypercar Champions Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor reunited for the full season.

There had been much speculation as to the placement of the star pairing following Porsche's withdrawal from the WEC,

There are wholesale changes to the crews of the #6 and #7 crews, so lets take a look…


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#6 - WEC stars align

The #6 Porsche will be steered by the same trio that tackled WEC races in 2025, as Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor are named as the full-season pairing, with reigning GTP Champion Matt Campbell joining them for the Endurance Cup events.

The trio finished second at this year’s 24H Le Mans after a heroic charge through the field, went on to win the rain-soaked 6H COTA, and entered the final race at Bahrain as an outside shot at the Drivers’ title.

Following Porsche's withdrawal from the WEC there were plenty of question marks over the future of the fan-favourite driver pairing, including a potential reunion in the IMSA Sportscar Championship GTD PRO Manthey 'Grello' Porsche.

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The lineup is the more experienced of the two cars, with Vanthoor and Campbell both claiming multiple IMSA titles in their careers – with one of the storylines of the year watching Estre take on the full season.

#7 - Porsche Proteges

The only driver retained in the #7 car is 2024 champion and multiple GTP race winner Felipe Nasr.

The Brazilian is joined by Julien Andlauer for the full IMSA season, the Frenchman moving across from his full-time WEC seat after two years as a standout pilot in Hypercar, both in Proton customer machinery and the factory team.

Laurin Heinrich will complete the trio at the Endurance Cup events after only one appearance in the 963 LMDh, coming at the WEC season finale three weeks ago. However, the 2024 GTD PRO champion will be familiar with IMSA racing and its unique demands.

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The Nasr-Andlauer combination is bound to be a threat from the off, and should Heinrich adapt quickly to his new home the #7 will undoubtedly continue to challenge at the top of the GTP class.

With Mathieu Jaminet departing for a Genesis LMDh seat in 2026, the only driver to have been moved aside for this updated squad is Nick Tandy. The British driver has been a mainstay of the Porsche GTP programme, winning seven races.

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