With 75 years of Porsche Motorsport, which highlights do you single out? Le Mans, Targa Florio, or Carrera Panamericana? Each of them an iconic race inextricably linked to Porsche. And what about Mille Miglia, Rallye Monte Carlo, Daytona, and Nürburgring? They’re all venues with extraordinary stories – and yet any attempt to showcase the most legendary Porsche races in a single text seems doomed to fail. The 75-year history simply offers too much to highlight.
And you could say the same about the people. Richard Attwood. Jacky Ickx. Timo Bernhard. To put it simply, Le Mans winners. But what about Hans Herrmann, Derek Bell, Marc Lieb, and all the others? There’s no doing justice to all the iconic race car drivers either. And the vehicles? There’s no end to the options. 550 Spyder. 917 KH. 935. 956. 919 Hybrid. 963. Even that is just a short list of the short list.
Le Mans 1951: Birth place of Porsche Motorsport
But one thing is certain: It all goes back to a single vehicle. A single location. A single year. Le Mans, 1951. For the first time, Porsche takes on Circuit de la Sarthe – and clinches the class win with Auguste Veuillet and Edmond Mouche behind the wheel of a 356 SL. “This moment has come to be seen as the birth of Porsche in motorsport,” says Thomas Laudenbach, Head of Porsche Motorsport. “What emerged over the next few decades is a motorsport legacy like no other the world over.” The first success in the 356 SL ultimately developed into a fascinating cosmos – with sprint races, endurance competitions, and rallies.
“Motorsport forms the core of the brand identity and is the development platform for future technologies,” explains Laudenbach. “It represents pioneering spirit, courage, and sportsmanship.” Because they continue to be responsible for the brand’s success to this day, customers have always played a key role. Customer racing and customer teams form the foundation for Porsche Motorsport’s activities. The sports car manufacturer is now one of the world’s largest suppliers in the segment. “Since the early days, customers have had the opportunity to race in our sports cars,” says Michael Dreiser, Director of Motorsport Sales, who has worked for Porsche in this area for more than 20 years. “The 911, which would go on to become the cornerstone of motorsport, sparked an upward trend when it was launched in the 1960s.” With more than 5,000 vehicles produced, the Cup race car based on the 911 is now one of the world’s most frequently built race cars.
But for Dreiser, there’s one key aspect of differentiation. “There are those who are looking for fun and experience on the racecourse,” he explains. “And those who are interested in going professional.” Both of these options – and just about anything else – are possible today with Porsche. Anyone can compete in motorsport, whether they want to fulfill a dream or win a trophy.
Motorsport pyramid: From trackday to Le Mans
The cosmos is best described as a pyramid system that customers can climb from the bottom to the top. Porsche Experience Centers around the world offer the perfect entry point, while communities like Porsche GT Circle also regularly organize exclusive motorsport events. Anyone interested in keeping the adrenaline pumping can move on to the next level with the Porsche Track Experience, which offers professional driver training with experienced instructors, with options ranging from the entry-level course to intensive master courses. “We also established the Rennsport Academy several years ago,” says Michael Dreiser. “Customers can now train there to get their racing license.”
The license provides access to the next level, the brand cups. “We offer a seamless transition,” says Dreiser. “From the road to professional motorsport.” First the Carrera Cup, then the Le Mans podium? It’s certainly possible! Nick Tandy, Marc Lieb, and Timo Bernhard all got their start in the brand cup and secured the overall win at Sarthe at the peak of their career.
The brand cups are then followed by GT sport, in which many customer teams go up against other manufacturers in GT vehicles. And at the top of the pyramid are racing series like the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Formula E, where Porsche factory teams operate, where the technologies for the production cars of tomorrow are put to the test, and where legends are born. And customer teams form an important pillar here, too – and write their own stories in the shadow of the factories.
Raceborn: 75 years of Porsche Motorsport
75 years of motorsport, which also means 75 years of customer racing. In the Dossier, we take a look at the cosmos that has emerged from motorsport, from the GT Circle event on the Magarigawa racecourse in Japan and the international brand cups and GT series to the top tier with the high-performance 963 race cars and the new 975 RSE vehicle for Formula E. A snapshot of the present, without any claim to completeness – but 100% raceborn!
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Text first published in Christophorus Magazine, issue 419.
Text: Matthias Kriegel
Images: Porsche Archive
Copyright: All images, videos and audio files published in this article are subject to copyright. Reproduction in whole or in part is not permitted without the written consent of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. Please contact christophorus@porsche.de for further information.
