DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Laurin Heinrich will shift over to Porsche Penske Motorsport for the upcoming TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks, the penultimate round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s 2026 season.
The second-place driver in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) championship, who sits 118 points behind Jack Aitken, will share the No. 6 Porsche 963 with Kevin Estre at Indianapolis.
In his stead, Nico Mueller will move into the No. 5 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963 alongside Tijmen van der Helm. Mueller also raced with JDC-Miller at Indianapolis last year.
“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 Factory Motorsport, LMDh.
“We thank Laurens Vanthoor for his understanding in this unique situation.”
Heinrich added his thoughts in an Instagram post:
“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 🙏 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!
Porsche also released a quote from Vanthoor:
“Unfortunately, the current season hasn’t gone as hoped with our #6 car,” Vanthoor said. “After the crash in the last race at Road America, we no longer have a chance in the championship. Since Laurin is the highest-ranked Porsche driver in the championship, I’m happy to step aside to give him the chance to drive our car and maximize his chances.
“I’ll be back on the grid for the Petit Le Mans at the end of the season. We’ve set very high goals for that race, because neither I nor the Porsche Penske Motorsport team has ever won it. That’s about to change. I wish Laurin the best of luck and success at the race in Indianapolis.”