Porsche Motorsports Switching From LMP1 to Formula E

Porsche AG says it will end its involvement in LMP1 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship at the end of this year and join the Formula E electric car racing series for the 2019/2020 season.

Earlier this month, rivals BMW AG and Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz unit announced similar plans to join Formula E in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Other carmakers fielding teams in the fledgling series, which was launched in 2014, are Citroen, Jaguar, Mahindara & Mahindra, NextEV and Renault.

As with its rivals, Porsche plans to use Formula E to help develop and test technologies for future electrified vehicles. The carmaker’s first all-electric model, based on its 2015 Mission E concept car, is due in 2019.

Despite dropping out of LMP1, Porsche vows to keep intact its core team from the series—including company drivers—to work on undetermined future projects. Porsche joined LMP1 four years ago. The company has won the last three 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance races and notched World Championship titles in both the team and driver classifications in 2015 and 2016. This year’s World Championship series ends Nov. 18 in Bahrain.

Porsche will continue to compete in international GT racing, campaigning the 911 RSR in the GT class of the FIA World Endurance Championship.