Porsche - History

History

The future of motorsports begins with our talented youngsters. A principle Porsche has adhered to since 1997. A like-minded partner from the very start was UPS - where speed, precision and dependability are valued no less than at Porsche itself. Result of the cooperation: the establishment of the UPS Porsche Junior Team.

The sports success was one thing. On the other hand, the Junior Team rapidly developed into an important young talent school for Porsche works drivers. Or, more precisely: for credible brand ambassadors of one of the world's most successful sports car builders. With names such as Timo Bernhard, Marc Lieb, Patrick Long, Michael Christensen, Earl Bamber, Matt Campbell or Thomas Preining. All of them onetime Porsche Junior alums who made it to works driver status. Even the all-time greats of motorsport Dirk Müller, Lucas Luhr and Mike Rockenfeller started their careers in the Junior Team.

Porsche Juniors

2019

The new Porsche Junior Jaxon Evans from New Zealand tackled 2019 season’s Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. In a selection process, the 22-year-old beat ten other international candidates and is now ready to take the next step in his career. For Julien Andlauer (France), 2019 marked his second year as a Porsche Junior and won the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland Championship.

Impressions

2018

The success of the Porsche Junior Programme is also reflected in the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans. Michael Christensen was one of the trio that won the Pro class in a Porsche 911 RSR. The Dane was supported as a Porsche Junior in 2012 and 2013. After impressive performances in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland and the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Christensen stepped up to become a Porsche works driver in 2014.

Two up-and-coming drivers, the Porsche Young Professional Matt Campbell and the Porsche Junior Julien Andlauer, also celebrated victories in Le Mans. Both youngsters won the GTE Am class. Aged only 18, Andlauer became the youngest ever class winner in Le Mans.

Impressions

2017

Three young pilots were supported as a Porsche Junior in 2017: Dennis Olsen competed in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland in 2016 before moving up to the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in 2017. After overcoming eight other candidates in a screening and testing process, the Australian Matt Campbell was one of the drivers that contested the international Brand Cup.

Thomas Preining impressed in a screening and absolved a two-stage selection process. Racing as a Porsche Junior, the Austrian competed in his first season in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland in 2017.

Impressions

2016

Porsche intensified the support of talented youngsters in motorsport. In the 2016 season, four young drivers have been trained as professional racing drivers in the Porsche one-make race series. Two of the juniors were only chosen as part of an extensive selection process.

Joining the junior contingent for the 2016 season was the Norwegian Dennis Olsen (19) as well as Frenchman Mathieu Jaminet (21). Italy’s Matteo Cairoli (19) and Sven Müller (23) from Germany continued to receive support for another year.

Impressions

2015

There are days and moments in the life of a race driver that will never be forgotten. For Earl Bamber that day was June 14th, 2015, and the moment was the award ceremony after the Le Mans 24 Hours. Standing on the podium high above the pit lane alongside his teammates Nick Tandy (Great Britain) and Nico Hülkenberg (Germany) after just winning the world’s most famous endurance race in the Porsche 919 Hybrid, he revelled in the exuberant cheering of ecstatic fans.

The sensational victory on the Circuit des 24 Heures marks the pinnacle of his meteoric career from Porsche Junior to works driver and celebrated Le Mans winner – all in just over a year.

Porsche supported three talented young race drivers as Porsche Juniors in the 2015 racing season: Connor de Phillippi, Sven Müller and Matteo Cairoli tackled the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup and the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland for their respective teams.

Impressions

2014

In addition to the new junior, Sven Mueller (Germany), who tackled his first season in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland in 2014, the current Porsche juniors continued to receive support. Austria’s Klaus Bachler (22) contested his second season in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, with Alex Riberas from Spain and American Connor de Phillippi returned to compete in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland.

Earl Bamber was the second very talented driver chosen from Porsche’s brand trophy series worldwide to receive funding of 200,000 Euro for the step up into the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.

Michael Christensen from Denmark joined Porsche’s works squad for the 2014 season. After spending the last two years as a Porsche junior, where he paved the way for greater tasks with his strong performances in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland and in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Porsche gave the 23-year-old race driver the chance to take the next step in his career.

Impressions

2013

The Porsche Juniors Michael Christensen and Klaus Bachler have made it: After a strong performance in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland in 2012, the two climb to the next rung of the career ladder and contest the 2013 season of the international Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup run as support to Formula 1.

Two new Porsche Juniors contest the Carrera Cup Deutschland in 2013: Alex Riberas (Spain) and Connor de Phillippi (USA). The pair came out on top after a two-tiered selection process in Potsdam and Vallelunga against young talent from around the world.

Impressions

2012

At track tests in Vallelunga (Italy) in February 2012 six finalists aged from 18 to 21 years excelled with outstanding lap times and showed impressive progress over the two days. Klaus Bachler (20, A), Tom Blomqvist (18, GB), Michael Christensen (21, DK), Mario Farnbacher (19, D), Ramon Pineiro (21, E) and Dennis Trebing (20, USA) had earlier come out on top at a rigorous selection process against other talented youngsters from around the globe. Afterwards Porsche Motorsport evaluated the data from all the test laps and compared these with the comprehensive sports medicine results.

Impressions