After the announcement that Porsche will no longer contest in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship as a works team, Porsche GT Team have slimmed down their roster of drivers, which has seen 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Neel Jani replace Michael Christensen in the #92 works FIA World Endurance Championship GTE Pro entry.
The lack of seats in America for the German outfit now means that less racers are needed on Porsche’s extensive works driver list, which has led to the team completing a large shuffle around. With Jani being replaced by Pascal Wehrlein in the Porsche FIA Formula-E team, the Swiss driver needed a seat for the 2021 season. Christensen was one of the six departures from the Porsche works outfit at the end of 2020’s season of racing, leaving a vacant seat in the WEC line up for Jani to fill.
Jani has raced with Porsche in WEC before, being part of the team’s LMP1 efforts from 2014-2017. He claimed the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans victory with Marc Lieb and Romain Dumas, along with the Drivers’ World Title the same year. Getting a grip for the WEC GTE Pro car, Jani made his debut in the Porsche 919-RSR during this year’s postponed 12 Hours of Sebring, sharing the cockpit with Earl Bamber and Laurens Vanthoor. The trio ended the endurance race second in class behind the sister Porsche.
Filling the vacant seat left by Christensen, Jani will pair with 2018/19 GTE Pro champion Kevin Estre for the 2021 campaign. Jani will also retain his position in Porsche’s Formula-E team as reserve driver, along with test driver Simona da Silvestro.
The second WEC entry of Gianmaria Bruni and Richard Lietz remains unchanged.
