Porsche’s Vice President of Motorsport Fritz Enzinger will step down from his position at the end of September.
Enzinger, 65, has led the German marque’s motorsport division since 2011. He will be replaced by Thomas Laudenbach on October 1st.
“I look back on what we’ve achieved together with pride and gratitude,” said Enzinger. “It was an incredibly intense time.”
“The development of the LMP1 programme, the hat-trick at Le Mans and the world championship titles with the 919 Hybrid, the title wins with the 911 RSR, our entry into Formula E and the preparation of our LMDh engagements from 2023 onwards have demanded fortitude and focus from us all. Such successes are always the result of excellent teamwork.
“My greatest respect and thanks go out to everyone who contributed to this – in the cockpit, on the racetrack, in Weissach, Flacht and Zuffenhausen. My thanks also go to the strong Porsche customer teams who, among other achievements, clinched overall victories in the 24-hour races at the Nürburgring and in Spa-Francorchamps.”
“Motorsport, like the entire automotive industry, is changing. Thanks to his experience and expertise, Thomas Laudenbach is exactly the right man to lead Porsche Motorsport into this future.”
The Austrian led Porsche’s LMP1 programme from 2014 to 2017, taking it to three overall victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Since 2019, he has served at the head of Porsche’s motorsport division and was closely involved with efforts in the FIA World Endurance Championship, IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship and Formula E.
“We cannot thank Fritz Enzinger enough for his enormously successful work over the past ten years,” said Porsche board member Michael Steiner. “He shaped an era at Porsche Motorsport that led us to incredible triumphs and title wins.”
“Motorsport has played a very special role in Porsche’s corporate strategy. We’ve always used the racing platform as a test laboratory for the latest technologies.”
“Thomas Laudenbach has everything it takes to successfully continue on this path. We look forward to the future of motorsport, in which we want to take an active role in shaping. The Mission R concept presented at the IAA Mobility showcases an exciting preview of what’s to come.”
Laudenbach, 53, has experience in DTM and has been with Porsche since 1998. He previously served as Head of Powertrain Development.
“I’m thrilled about the trust that’s been placed in me and excited about the tasks ahead,” said Laudenbach. “The big goal is to build on the great successes that have been achieved under the direction of Fritz Enzinger. It’s a wonderful challenge.”
“We will adapt motorsport to the changed conditions in the automotive industry – from customer racing to factory involvement in the major racing series around the globe.”
“We have our sights firmly set on claiming our 20th Le Mans victory, we want to win world championships – both in endurance racing and in Formula E.”
“It’s also important to continue developing our customer racing. With the Mission R concept study, we are showing how attractive this can look.”
