Porsche Penske Motorsport

Porsche brought the 963 to the Hypercar grid in 2023 through a partnership with Team Penske, combining a German engineering base with an American race operation. The car runs a flat-six turbo hybrid, and the programme has been aimed at Le Mans from day one.

The 963 is quick over one lap — it has taken pole at several rounds — and the race work has focused on turning that into 24-hour reliability. Cooling, brake wear and the electrical side of the hybrid unit get more attention here than outright downforce.

Estre is the qualifying specialist and the reference for a single-lap push. Vanthoor is the long-run driver, logging the night stints and building the tyre data the strategists use to decide when to double-stint. Both came up through Porsche's GT programme, so they treat endurance as normal racing at a slower rhythm.