As Porsche ended the 2021 motorsport season with its annual season-ending “Night of Champions” event, the German manufacturer announced its plans for the 2022 racing season and beyond. The state of the marque release covered everything from Formula E to customer GT3 programs, but the highlight was arguably the update on Porsche’s return to the top category of sports car racing.
Porsche confirmed a few details of their factory LMDh program and released the first photos of the prototype it will race. Two-time IMSA prototype champions Dane Cameron and former F1 driver Felipe Nasr were revealed as part of Porsche’s driver lineup. Both drivers will play an integral role in the LMDh prototype’s development over the next year.
Porsche Motorsport head Thomas Laudenbach also confirmed that the automaker’s LMDh prototype will start testing next month:
“We are working all-out with our partner Penske on the development of the new LMDh prototype and collaborate closely with the chassis manufacturer Multimatic at all times. In January, we will begin intensive testing to ensure that we are optimally prepared for our 2023 competition debut.”
None of the photos fully display Porsche’s LMDh prototype, but we’re certain to see more of the racing car as it goes through a gruelling testing schedule in 2022. While it’s not certain how competitive their challenger will be in 2023, Porsche’s pedigree of producing dominant sports cars is unquestioned with 19 overall victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and 22 overall victories at the 24 Hours of Daytona.
The LMDh category will offer Porsche the opportunity to win both events with the same car for the first time in 30 years. The path to the top step of the podium won’t be easy as Porsche will have to compete against the likes of Audi, BMW, Peugeot and Ferrari.