Thomas Preining: Is there a chance at Le Mans? / FIA WEC

It was the fourth time since the rookie test in November 2023 in Bahrain that Porsche-Penske let reigning DTM champion Thomas Preining get 963 jobs. In the recent 36-hour run at Motorland Aragon, the man from Linz helped six current drivers of the World Championship with the “guest” Sebastian Vettel. “The 36-hour race went without any problems. For me it was another big step of the experience,” said Preining, who rated the switch from the GT3 911 to the hypercar as very good.

So far only Mathieu Jaminet from the IMSA team has been confirmed in the third 963 for Le Mans. So there are two spots available, possibly for Vettel/Preining? Would he be eligible for 24 hours in mid-June? When asked, Preining said: “Porsche decides that. But we already decided during the winter that my focus will be on defending my title in the DTM. Unfortunately, the official test day at Le Mans (June 9, note) overlaps with the race of the DTM at Zandvoort. That’s why I don’t think I’ll be able to make the Le Mans debut in a big car this year. The Austrian will definitely not miss a possible opportunity in the top class of the World Endurance Championship.

And another possibility may be opened soon for Preining, with an experiment in another series in which Porsche is involved in the factory.