Outgoing Peugeot World Endurance Championship driver Nico Muller has aspirations to proceed his sportscar profession after becoming a member of Porsche for a System E marketing campaign with Andretti.
Muller careworn that his focus later this 12 months could be his drive with the Andretti Porsche buyer crew in FE, however he has outlined a want to race within the WEC or to pursue different sportscar alternatives with the German producer, which has signed him as a manufacturing facility driver.
“I might like to preserve doing each,” stated Muller on the Austin WEC spherical final weekend whereas on obligation for Peugeot.
“The main focus can be FE, that is the primary programme I am dedicated to. But when there’s any form of likelihood to remain right here and do WEC in Hypercar, that may be the dream situation. The door is open to do different stuff moreover FE.”
Muller, who joined Peugeot’s WEC squad for the ultimate race of the 2022 season, insisted that discussions a few wider programme with Porsche had but to happen.
“We haven’t talked about what the choices are and the way we’re going to proceed,” he defined.
Nico Muller, ABT CUPRA System E Staff
Photograph by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Pictures
Porsche hinted that Muller might have a wider function above and past FE when it announced his signing and programme with Andretti in July.
“We are going to announce at a later date whether or not and by which different collection Nico may also drive for Porsche,” stated Porsche Motorsport boss, Thomas Laudenbach.
A full programme in WEC with the manufacturing facility Penske Porsche Motorsport squad seems unlikely.
For 2023, Porsche required Antonio Felix da Costa to surrender his long-standing sportscar programme with Jota to deal with his FE assault with the manufacturing facility crew.
There additionally stays one date battle between the FE and WEC calendars – the Berlin FE spherical clashes with Interlagos within the WEC on 12-13 July.
A one-off on the Le Mans 24 Hours could possibly be a chance for Muller if Porsche decides to run a 3rd manufacturing facility 963 LMDh on the French enduro for the third consecutive season.
“If you’re requested to return to Le Mans, you’ll say sure,” he stated. “That’s prime of the checklist.”
#93 Peugeot Totalenergies Peugeot 9X8: Jean-Eric Vergne, Mikkel Jensen, Nico Muller
Photograph by: Shameem Fahath
Outings with the privateer Proton crew within the Hypercar class could possibly be an alternative choice.
Muller additionally revealed a want to increase his expertise of the IMSA SportsCar Championship in North America, by which his solely earlier begin got here in LMP2 on the 2022 Daytona 24 Hours with the Excessive Class Racing squad.
“IMSA has a number of old-school tracks and is one thing I’d love to find a bit extra,” he stated.
“There are similarities with FE since you are discussing so much much less about placing 4 wheels on the opposite aspect of white strains [because there is generally less run-off than at the Formula 1 tracks visited by WEC].”
Racing Porsche’s 911 GT3-R is “additionally positively an possibility”, based on a driver who loved success on the wheel of GT3 equipment throughout his nine-year stint with Audi.
His credit in GT racing with Audi embrace victory within the Nurburgring 24 Hours in 2015 in addition to a pair of podiums and an additional two top-six finishes within the Spa 24 Hours.
The Nurburgring race clashes with the Jakarta FE spherical subsequent 12 months, however Muller could be free to do Spa, the blue-riband spherical of the GT World Problem Europe.
Muller additionally revealed that racing within the Supercars touring automotive collection in Australia was on his bucket checklist.
“I might like to go all the way down to Australia and check out a kind of Supercars,” he stated.
“I positively hope to do some cool stuff moreover FE subsequent 12 months.”