Porsche announces reduced factory drivers list with Le Mans winner Bruni dropped

4-time Le Mans 24 Hours class winner Gianmaria Bruni is leaving Porsche’s line-up of manufacturing unit drivers after eight years. 

The 43-year-old Italian was absent from the German marque’s works roster when it formally launched its motorsport programmes for 2025 on Saturday night time. 

The departure follows two seasons wherein Bruni didn’t have a seat aboard a manufacturing unit Porsche and was positioned on the Proton Competition buyer 963 LMDh group within the World Endurance Championship after which the IMSA Sportscar Championship. 

Bruni was recruited from Ferrari forward of 2017 and went on to turn out to be a stalwart of Porsche’s WEC GTE Professional squad from the 2018/19 season.

He claimed a fourth Le Mans class victory aboard a manufacturing unit, Manthey-run Porsche 911 RSR in 2022, although by no means emulated the WEC title successes he loved with Ferrari the place he gained the LMGTE Professional crown in 2013 and 2014.

Bruni might nonetheless find yourself racing a Porsche subsequent yr. 

The previous Minardi Formulation 1 racer joined the JDC-Miller MotorSports buyer Porsche 963 squad eventually month’s official IMSA take a look at in Daytona. 

Among the many drivers who examined the automobile in Daytona was Tijmen van der Helm, who was partnered in JDC’s 963 this yr by the now-retired Richard Westbrook. 

Proton is not going to proceed its engagement in IMSA’s GTP class with one among its pair of 963s, in response to Porsche’s press announcement from Saturday’s Evening of Champions occasion at its Weissach analysis and growth facility. 

It said that “one buyer group” will be part of the works Porsche Penske Motorsport squad within the North American collection, naming JDC-Miller, whereas on the identical time referencing Proton’s continuation within the WEC with a solo 963. 

Porsche introduced a lowered squad of works pilots on the occasion.

Bruni has departed what was a 16-strong line-up in 2024 together with Andre Lotterer, Dane Cameron and Frederic Makowiecki, who all left the PPM squad on the conclusion of their respective WEC and IMSA campaigns. 

#33 Falken Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (992): Julian Andlauer, Klaus Bachler, Sven Müller, Alessio Picariello

Photograph by: Gruppe C GmbH

Julien Andlauer has been promoted to full-factory standing, having previously been a so-called contracted Porsche driver, on his transfer from Proton to the PPM WEC squad for 2025.

The opposite new arrival is Nico Muller, whose recruitment by Porsche was introduced in August. The Swiss has been positioned with the Andretti Formulation E squad, which makes use of the Porsche powertrain, for the approaching season. 

Which means there are actually 14 Porsche manufacturing unit racers. 

Porsche has a second listing of contracted drivers on its books who should not accorded official works standing. 

This listing has been joined by Ricardo Feller, who strikes over from Audi. The Swiss, who gained the Nurburgring 24 Hours this yr, was a part of a small group of drivers retained by Audi Sport because it downscaled its buyer racing division. 

Feller, 24, will race a Porsche 911 GT3-R within the DTM for the Allied Racing group, which is shifting up from the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany. 

His team-mate within the two-car squad can be Bastian Buus, one other driver with a Porsche contract. 

Ricardo Feller, Staff ABT Sportsline Audi R8 LMS GT3

Photograph by: Alexander Trienitz

Michelle Gatting has additionally signed with Porsche to turn out to be a contracted pilot. She can be racing for the Manthey squad within the WEC’s LMGT3 class in 2025, and in addition with Proton within the European and Asian Le Mans Sequence, as a part of the all-female Iron Dames programme. 

Klaus Bachler will transfer over from the WEC, wherein he was a part of the LMGT3 title-winning line-up, to affix AO Racing for the defence of its IMSA GT Daytona Professional crown. 

The Austrian can be teamed with two fellow Porsche contractees, reigning champion Laurin Heinrich for the complete season and Alessio Picariello for the Daytona and Sebring endurance rounds.

German Theo Oeverhaus has been named as a Porsche junior driver. The 19-year-old, who completed third on this yr’s German Carrera Cup, joins a scheme that produced drivers resembling Le Mans winners Timo Bernhard and Marc Lieb. 

Italian Alessandro Ghiretti continues as a Porsche junior for a second season.