Rising sportscar star Laurin Heinrich is set to return to Porsche Penske Motorsport one race earlier than originally planned, sharing the #6 Porsche 963 with Kevin Estre in the penultimate round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Heinrich will replace Laurens Vanthoor, who is set to join McLaren’s Hypercar effort in the FIA World Endurance Championship next season as part of a dual-manufacturer program in IMSA and WEC. Heinrich will also return to Porsche Penske Motorsports for the IMSA season finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Heinrich, who was announced earlier this year as a full-season driver for Porsche Penske Motorsport in 2027, has made select starts for the factory outfit this season, primarily in the endurance races. When not competing for Penske in the GTP class, Heinrich has contested the sprint, and select endurance races, in the JDC-Miller Motorsports #5 Porsche 963.
The German driver has earned three overall and class victories in GTP this season, including wins at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring. Heinrich later added another victory under the JDC-Miller Motorsports banner, helping the team become the first customer Porsche entrant to win in the GTP class since the category’s reestablishment in 2023.
The pieced-together full-season campaign came on the heels of Heinrich’s immediate success in the GTP class, where he has emerged as a contender for the IMSA GTP Drivers’ Championship. Heinrich currently sits just 118 points out of the championship lead.
With Heinrich moving from JDC-Miller Motorsports to Porsche Penske Motorsport for Indianapolis, Nico Müller has been tapped to take over driving duties in the #5 Porsche 963 alongside full-season driver Tijmen van der Helm.
Müller, an Andretti Formula E driver, made two starts for JDC-Miller’s customer Porsche effort last season, competing at Sebring and Indianapolis.
“We want to give Laurin Heinrich the best possible chance in the fight for the IMSA drivers’ title, and we believe this is the best way to do that,” said Urs Kuratle, Porsche Director of Factory Motorsport, LMDh. “We thank Laurens Vanthoor for his understanding in this unique situation.”
“Thank you to Porsche Motorsport and Team Penske for giving me the unique chance to fight for championship points in the #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport GTP entry alongside Kevin Estre at Indianapolis next week,” Heinrich added. “I know this decision did not come easy, and I highly respect Laurens Vanthoor for stepping aside to allow me the best chances for achieving the ultimate goal.
“I’ll make sure to grasp this special opportunity with both hands and give it everything in my hunt for the IMSA championship. I can’t wait to be reunited with the team after our successful start to the season. Now let’s get to work with the 6 crew and make it count!”
