2019 Porsche Super Sports cup Germany Champion, and 2021 Porsche Carrera Cup Germany and Porasche Supercup race winner, 20 year old Laurin Heinrich from Germany has been selected as the2022 porsche Junior Driver, emerging victorious from a process that involved 12 young drivers at the Motorland Aragón racetrack in Spain.
As part of the sponsorship package, the winner receives funding of 225,000 Euros to contest the 2022 season of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.
The candidates, all no older than 23 years, had to fulfil demanding criteria to receive an invitation to the selection process.
The prerequisites include a top-five result in one of Porsche’s more than 20 global one-make cup series. At the three-day showdown in Spain, the candidates’ driving skills were put to the test in changeable weather conditions. In addition to pure speed, the selection criteria include mental and physical fitness tests, an understanding of technology and an ability to work alongside race engineers as well as interacting with the media.
The twelve candidates from around the world include 21-year-old Huub van Eijndhoven. The Dutchman was nominated by the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux. Sweden’s Hampus Ericsson is 19 years old and contested the 2021 Carrera Cup Scandinavia. Enzo Elias (19) flew the colours for Porsche Carrera Cup Brazil. The Italian Carrera Cup sent 19-year-old Alessandro Giardelli. Lorcan Hanafin turned heads in the Carrera Cup Great Britain. At 18 years of age, the British racing driver is the youngest of the fast dozen. Laurin Heinrich (20) contested the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland. The German claimed the rookie classification title in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup this season and also won a race in the international series.
22-year-old Marvin Klein from France has also competed in the Supercup and has taken the crown in the French Carrera Cup. Australia’s Cooper Murray (20) took part in the selection process on the recommendation of his national Carrera Cup. The new Porsche Carrera Cup North America sent its champion, 20-year-old Sebastian Priaulx from Britain. With a wildcard, 20-year-old Kay van Berlo, Harry King (20) from Great Britain and the 19-year-old Italian Marzio Moretti round off the candidate list.
“Fast lap times provide a basis for choosing the new Porsche Junior, of course, but they are not the only criteria we take into account. We also look for a team player who can motivate the team and represent Porsche,” explains the Porsche Junior Coach Sascha Maassen. “It’s about the total package that the talented youngsters offer. We’ve given a great deal of attention to each of the twelve candidates and taken a close look at what they can achieve on and off the racetrack – what their capabilities are, how they develop mentally, how they interact with the engineers and how they come across in front of a camera. Everything is taken into account. We already know that these guys can drive. To choose just one new Porsche Junior out of these twelve was a big responsibility, which we took very seriously.”
“Our selection process of the young drivers from the Porsche Carrera Cups around the world has shown time and again just how valuable the driver training is. The benchmark at the event in Aragon was extremely high,” outlined Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. “We’re delighted to offer Laurin Heinrich our support and assistance as the new Porsche Junior over the coming season. The concept of the Porsche Motorsport pyramid has proven itself over decades and in many cases has helped talented youngsters climb the career ladder to become works drivers. We want to continue this.”
“The twelve highly talented participants who took part in the three-day Porsche Junior shootout at the Motorland Aragon made the decision very difficult – but in the end it was clearly in favour of Laurin Heinrich,” explains Sascha Maassen. The former Porsche works driver accompanies the junior driver to all Supercup races as a coach. “The fact that Laurin can drive the 911 GT3 Cup really fast is obviously one of the most important basics for an aspiring professional – but as the defending Supercup rookie champion and Zandvoort race winner, he didn’t have to prove much more. But he did impress us with his general attitude and mental maturity, which was remarkable for a 20-year-old. Overall, he turned out to be the best allround package with the greatest potential for development.”
Laurin Heinrich began his motor racing career at the age of ten in a kart. He contested his first full season as a 14-year-old high school student and went on to secure three rookie wins in Formula 4 in his father’s private team. After taking a break from racing due to budget constraints, the swift young man threw himself into the fierce competition of the 2019 Porsche Sports Cup. With success: he beat more than 40 rivals and took home the GT3 title. In 2020, the German tackled the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland and finished on the podium four times during his debut season. Ultimately, he took fourth overall and the honour of being the best newcomer. Last season, Heinrich achieved two race wins in the German one-make cups series, including a “Grand Slam” in Oschersleben: pole position, fastest race lap and first place. He repeated this feat at the wheel of Huber Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 Cup at the 2021 premiere of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup at Zandvoort.
“I wasn’t at all familiar with the Dutch racetrack, and this year was the first driving the new 911 GT3 Cup – but it worked. I think I’m a quick learner and I avoid making the same mistake twice. Plus, I usually stay pretty relaxed and calm,” said the 20-year-old, describing his strengths. The tough lessons from 2017 and 2018 made an impact: After the big successes in his father’s Formula 4 squad, he took a mandatory break for a year. “It became very clear to me than nothing should be taken for granted, and it added fuel my fighting spirit.” This attitude was one of the key factors in Heinrich’s successful bid to become the 2022 Porsche Junior. “I was blown away when I got the call from Porsche to tell me the good news – it’s a dream come true! At that moment I felt immense joy and relief because I hadn’t slept well for several nights.”
In addition to financial support to contest a season in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, the sponsorship package follows a comprehensive approach that encompasses all aspects of a professional career in motorsport. Sascha Maassen plays a key role in this. As a driver coach, the former Porsche works driver is on hand to mentor the talented youngsters before, during and after the race. Moreover, the University of Potsdam provides sports medicine support. Media seminars and mental training as well as PR events and marketing activities are also part of the instruction content.
Porsche has supported talented young racing drivers since 1997 giving 27 racing drivers a decisive career boost. Timo Bernhard (Porsche Junior 2000 to 2001), Marc Lieb (2000 to 2002) and Earl Bamber (2014) are prime examples: All three have won the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours with the Porsche 919 Hybrid at least once and have clinched titles in the FIA World Endurance Championship. In the 2021 season, five of the 15 Porsche works drivers and Porsche Young Professionals earned their stripes as Porsche Juniors. In 2019, Ayhancan Güven from Turkey was accepted into the sponsorship programme. In 2020, the selection process was cancelled due to the COVID 19 pandemic
