Porsche has announced that Andre Lotterer, Earl Bamber and Nick Tandy have secured seats in its two-car 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship LMP1 programme, tonight at the brand’s the annual Night of Champions ceremony in Stuttgart.
This news comes fresh from the conclusion of the 2015 FIA WEC season, which saw the #2 Porsche 919 of Neel Jani, Romain Dumas and Marc Lieb hang on to win the title after two early season wins at Silverstone and Le Mans kept them in the points race. Only Jani will continue with the team in its leading Porsche after both Dumas and Lieb stood down last month.
A new chapter begins with Porsche! I can’t wait to get started in the WEC 2017 and go racing with the champion team #919Hybrid
— Nick Tandy (@NickTandyR) December 3, 2016
Tandy and Bamber have of course driven for Porsche in the LMP1 division before, winning the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours in the marque’s third car for the French classic, alongside F1 star Nico Hulkenburg. There has been no mention of a third car making a return for next season as of yet.
In terms of driving trios, Tandy and Lotterer will slot in with Neel Jani in the #1 car, while Bamber will drive the #2 with 2015 WEC champions Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley in the seat which was previously filled by Mark Webber.
Lotterer’s move is a big one, the former Audi star handed another LMP1 drive after the VAG brand terminated its LMP1 programme at the end of the 2016 season following 18 years of racing in the top prototype division.
The standout German, who has three-time Le Mans winner with Audi, will be aiming for his first Le Mans win since 2014, and his first WEC Drivers Title since 2012 in the upcoming season.
Porsche also revealed that the revised 2017 919 H, that is set to feature a new aero package, will be officially unveiled on 23 March at the FIA WEC Prologue, which is being held for the first time in Monza, Italy.
