Porsche announces new GTP teams with Estre full-time in IMSA

Porsche Penske Motorsport has completely overhauled its GTP driver lineups for 2026. Felipe Nasr is the only full-time driver remaining, but he will have a new teammate in the #7: Julien Andlauer, who previously competed primarily with KellyMoss in GT3, is moving up to GTP.

The #6 will feature a completely new pairing. Kevin Estre will have a full-time GTP seat after recent partial campaigns - he only raced in two GTP events in 2024 and had a limited schedule in 2025. His teammate will be Laurens Vanthoor, a two-time IMSA champion who won Daytona and Sebring in 2025.

Photo By IMSA

Campbell Drastically Reduces Role

Matt Campbell, the reigning GTP champion, will no longer race full-time. He will only participate in the four Michelin Endurance Cup races in the #6. He lost his championship-winning teammate Mathieu Jaminet, who signed with Genesis.

Campbell's reduced role opens the door for Estre and Vanthoor, who won the 2024 WEC Hypercar championship before Porsche exited that series due to financial problems.

Tandy Drops to GTD Pro and Heinrich Moves Up to GTP

The most striking move involves a direct swap between AO Racing and Porsche Penske. Nick Tandy, who won Daytona, Sebring, and Le Mans in 2025 to complete the endurance racing triple crown, will not continue in prototypes. He is moving to AO Racing to compete in GTD Pro with the iconic Porsche 911 GT3 R "Rexy".

His spot in the GTP program is taken by Laurin Heinrich, the 2024 GTD Pro champion with AO Racing. Heinrich moves up as the third driver for the #7 car in the endurance races, joining Nasr and Andlauer for the four long events.

It is unusual: Tandy, with his status of having won the three major endurance races in a single season, is moving down a class. Heinrich, 24 years old, is promoted from a customer team to the factory program.

Photo By IMSA

WEC Exit Explains the Changes

The massive changes are explained by Porsche's exit from the WEC. The financial crisis, which reduced profits by 90% in the second quarter, forced the manufacturer to choose between championships. Porsche chose IMSA, where it currently leads both team championships.

Thomas Laudenbach had previously mentioned they would prioritize young drivers in the 963 program after leaving the WEC. Heinrich moving up from GT3 and Andlauer getting a full-time ride confirms this.

Porsche will announce further details during the Night of Champions in Germany this week, but the main driver pairings are already defined.