Neel Jani will quit the FIA World Endurance Championship at the end of the season on his commitments with Porsche's Formula E program.
Jani is currently competing in the LMP1 class of the World Endurance Championship with Rebellion, but has said that this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans is likely to be his last WEC outing for the foreseeable future. The 35-year-old was named as the first signing for Porsche's Formula E operation back in December.
"After Le Mans, I stop. My focus switches to Formula E," Jani told Autosport.
"I have to set my priorities. When a brand like Porsche gives you a chance to drive their cars, you have to give it full commitment. For me there was never a question."
Jani, who won Le Mans in 2016 with the Stuttgart manufacturer, is currently enduring a difficult season in the #1 Rebellion R13 alongside Bruno Senna and Mathias Beche. The Swiss also suggested Toyota's LMP1 dominance and the inability to mount a significant challenge to the pair of TS050 Hybrids played a part in his decision:
"Here we don't have a chance," said Jani. "We're just here so that the others don't win alone. That's not my aim for racing. I like the championship, I like the races, I like the paddock. It's not an easy decision in that way. But it is how it goes sometimes."
"It doesn't mean I'm never coming back. I'm not happy about it, but I'm also not unhappy. For sure it's not the same thrill as I had the last four years."
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