Porsche has confirmed that 2016 FIA World Endurance Champion title winners Marc Lieb and Romain Dumas will not be part of its LMP1 line-up next year.
The No.2 Porsche enjoyed a great start to the year, winning at Silverstone, finishing second at Spa and taking victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Despite failing to return to the podium for the remainder of the 2016 WEC season, Lieb, Dumas and team-mate Neel Jani secured the title in Bahrain by 12.5 points.
Porsche has now announced that Lieb and Dumas will not return to its LMP1 driver line-up, remaining under contract but moving on to other roles.
Lieb will switch to a customer racing role and the position with Porsche for Dumas is yet to be announced.
With Mark Webber retiring from motorsport and competing in his final WEC race in Bahrain with the No.1 car, it now leaves three vacant seats at Porsche for 2017.
“The LMP1 program has benefitted immensely from Marc’s and Romain’s experience, especially during the team’s build-up phase and in Le Mans,” said Fritz Enzinger, vice president at Porsche LMP1.
“Together we went through some highs and lows in recent years. I am very pleased that both true racers can conclude this part of their Porsche career as Le Mans winners and world champions.
“I thank Marc and Romain from the depth of my heart for their high performance driving, their strong commitment and their loyalty.”
