WEC Rumor: Porsche tired of ‘Socialism Racing’ – can’t sell cars if they don’t win
Porsche is in racing to help sell cars and not being able to win all season because of BoP decisions makes it difficult to justify the cost. Porsche finally broke through for its first victory of a frustrating 2025 World Endurance Championship season at last weekend’s Austin round.
Porsche’s motorsport vice-president, Thomas Laudenbach, expressed his dissatisfaction with the WEC’s Balance of Performance (BoP) rules—which have repeatedly penalized Porsche’s pace—and broader economic headwinds, the program’s future hangs in the balance.
Is Porsche’s WEC Involvement at Risk?
In the paddock last Saturday, The Race pressed Laudenbach on whether he could confirm Porsche’s participation in the 2026 WEC. His response was evasive: “It’s too early. We will [decide] when the time comes. It is a tough period, but we have to consider a lot of things.”
“We are not 100% happy with the season,” Laudenbach conceded. “We had a second place at Le Mans, and in some way, it’s not bad if you look at the competition. On the other side, it did hurt because the #6 car was close to a perfect race. Frankly speaking, it should have won.”
He has no issue with a fair fight yielding second place, but Le Mans felt anything but fair under the BoP umbrella. “You know how important a Le Mans victory is,” Laudenbach emphasized. “Ten seconds [actually 14 behind the winning Ferrari]—that was not the point. It was not because of a slow puncture. Do the analysis yourself. You can have all the data of the winning car. We know how quick it was.”
This lingering bitterness underscores Porsche’s core grievance: a championship where tiny regulatory nudges erase hard-earned advantages, fostering a perception of “socialized racing” that prioritizes parity over pure performance. BoP remains the elephant in the paddock—teams whisper about it to avoid sanctions—but Laudenbach was more direct: “That’s the reason why we are not 100% happy with the season. I think there are a lot of things to improve in the series.”
Economic Pressures Amplify the Stakes
Racing doesn’t exist in a bubble, and Porsche’s woes extend far beyond the track. When the company reported its first-half 2025 results last month, the numbers painted a grim picture: group sales revenue dipped to €18.16 billion from €19.46 billion, while operating profit cratered to €1.01 billion from €3.06 billion.
Chairman Oliver Blume sounded the alarm: “We continue to face significant challenges around the world. And this is not a storm that will pass. The world is changing dramatically—and, above all, differently to what was expected just a few years ago. Some of the strategic decisions made back then appear in a different light today.”
Will motorsport feel the knife?
For now, Porsche aims to stick with both the WEC and IMSA, where early testing of the 963’s 2026 spec already wrapped up at Motorland Aragon this summer. Partner commitments are secured through 2027, so an abrupt exit would carry minimal financial penalties—but it would jolt employees amid the company’s turmoil.
Narrowing to IMSA only is on the table, though Laudenbach wouldn’t speculate: “Well, I’m not commenting on that because the decision has not been made yet, so it’s just too early.”
IMSA has allowed Porsche to win because of BoP decisions that allow Porsche to win races and help sell race cars. IMSA knows which side of their bread is buttered; in other words, they are better at Socialism than WEC.