Laurin Heinrich
German racing driver (born 2001)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Laurin Heinrich (born 26 September 2001) is a German racing driver who competes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Porsche Penske Motorsport and JDC Miller MotorSports. A homegrown talent from his selection as Porsche junior in 2022, he led "Rexy" to the GTD Pro title in 2024 and made his Hypercar debut in late 2025.[1][2]
JDC-Miller MotorSports
| Laurin Heinrich | |
|---|---|
Heinrich at Suzuka Circuit in 2025 | |
| Nationality |  German |
| Born | 26 September 2001 Kürnach, Germany |
| IMSA SportsCar Championship career | |
| Debut season | 2024 |
| Current team | Porsche Penske Motorsport JDC-Miller MotorSports |
| Categorisation |  FIA Silver (until 2022) FIA Gold (2023–) |
| Car number | 5 |
| Former teams | AO Racing |
| Starts | 27 |
| Wins | 8 |
| Podiums | 12 |
| Poles | 2 |
| Best finish | 1st in 2024 |
| Previous series | |
| 2017 2019 | ADAC Formula 4 Porsche Super Sports Cup Germany |
| Championship titles | |
| 2019 2022 2024 | Porsche Super Sports Cup Germany Porsche Carrera Cup Germany IMSA SportsCar Championship - GTD Pro |
| Statistics up to date as of 22 April 2025. | |
Career
Early career
Heinrich began karting at the age of eight, initially as a hobby, before taking on the sport competitively as he grew older.[3] As a child, Heinrich had aspirations of being a pilot rather than a racing driver, hence his early treatment of motorsports.[4] The eventual itch to compete led him to club racing competition in his youth, undertaken alongside his father.[5] After scoring titles in Swissauto kart competitions in his youth, Heinrich later cited his early aspirations as moving into Formula 4,[6] which he fulfilled in 2017. At the age of 15, Heinrich entered the 2017 ADAC Formula 4 Championship with his family team, dubbed Heinrich Motorsport.[7] The outfit was composed of Heinrich's karting mechanics – numbering just himself, his father, and three separate engineers – their numbers dwarfed by the larger European teams competing in the series.[5] In his rookie season of Formula 4 competition, the small outfit struggled, with Heinrich finishing no higher than 14th overall in a race and electing to forego the final round of the season at the Hockenheimring. Heinrich wouldn't return to single-seater competition the following season, and didn't return to professional racing until 2019.[2]
Porsche competition
In 2019, Heinrich took part in the Porsche Sports Cup Germany, claiming the 5E class title with six victories from ten races. In September, Heinrich made his debut in the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany, taking part in the Sachsenring round with CarTech Motorsport.[8]
In 2020, Heinrich began competing full-time in the series, driving for T3/HRT Motorsport. The suspended and truncated season proved advantageous for Heinrich, as it permitted more time to secure sponsorship and reduced the required budget to field an entry.[5] In September's joint-race between the German and French Carrera Cup competitions at Circuit de la Sarthe, Heinrich claimed his first podium in the German championship.[9] He would secure three additional overall podiums that season, three of which occurred during the triple-header at the Red Bull Ring,[10] finishing fourth in the overall points classification. He also secured the Rookie title, awarded to drivers taking part in the full-time championship for the first time.[5] Heinrich also made his debut in the Porsche Supercup during the 2020 season, making two guest starts at the Red Bull Ring for MRS GT-Racing after one of the team's drivers was unable to enter the country due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions.[11] Heinrich placed tenth in both events, but didn't score championship points as he was registered as a guest driver.[12]
For 2021, Heinrich embarked on a dual program in both the globe-trotting Porsche Supercup and domestic Porsche Carrera Cup Germany, taking on both series with Huber Racing.[13] Heinrich enjoyed an impressive rookie season in the former championship, taking his first ever Supercup victory at Zandvoort in September.[14] Heinrich claimed additional podium finishes at Spa and Monza, finishing fourth in the overall championship and highest in the Rookie class. Domestically, Heinrich claimed his first Carrera Cup Germany victory in 2021 as well, taking overall honors in the second race at Oschersleben.[15] During the next round at the Red Bull Ring, Heinrich claimed his second race victory and took the championship lead heading into the round at Monza.[16] He would finish the season with eight total podiums from 15 races, taking fourth in the championship. At the end of 2021, Heinrich was selected to compete in the Porsche Junior Shootout at MotorLand Aragón. At the end of the competition, Heinrich was named as Porsche's Junior driver for the 2022 season, which featured a €225,000 scholarship towards a drive in the 2022 Porsche Supercup.[17]
Heinrich began his Porsche Junior campaign with a drive in the Dubai 24 Hour, taking part in the 992 Am class with Huber Racing.[18] 2022 saw Heinrich return to both the Porsche Supercup and Carrera Cup Germany, once again driving for Huber Racing. His Supercup campaign featured once race victory, at Silverstone,[19] and four total podium finishes, taking a career-best third in the championship. The Carrera Cup Germany, however, saw Heinrich feature early and often at the front of the field. Over 16 races, Heinrich claimed six race victories, including a weekend sweep at Spa[20] and the Sachsenring. After his double victory at the Sachsenring round, Heinrich secured the series championship with two races to spare.[21] At the end of the 2022 season, Heinrich joined 311RS Motorsport to compete in the final round of the 2022 Porsche Carrera Cup North America, deputizing for Leh Keen.[22] After crashing out of the first race of the weekend with brake problems,[23] Heinrich won the second race.[24]
Ahead of the 2023 season, Heinrich was promoted to contracted Porsche Driver status.[25] Heinrich was also selected for financial support from the ADAC and DMSB as part of their Motorsport Team Germany program.[26] With that backing, he took on a drive in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters for the first time in his career, piloting a Porsche 911 GT3 R for KÜS Team Bernhard.[27] During his maiden season, Heinrich claimed two podium finishes, finishing second at both the Nürburgring[28] and Red Bull Ring, adding his first pole position in the series in Austria as well.[29] He supplemented his DTM program with a drive in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup with Rutronik Racing, joining Dennis Olsen and Thomas Preining in a Pro class entry.[30] The trio claimed a single podium in the final round at Barcelona, finishing the season seventh in the overall points classification.[31] Heinrich also added a one-off appearance in the Sprint Cup alongside Ayhancan Güven at Zandvoort.[32]
A negative highlight of Heinrich's 2023 season came at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. Making his debut for Dinamic GT, Heinrich lost control of his Porsche at night and crashed into the fan-favourite Dacia Logan at the Stefan Bellof S section of the Nordschleife.[33][34] The damage to the Dacia was "irreparable", with Ollis Garage Racing quoted as saying "the project is dead".[35][36] However, the car made a return in 2024 after a full rebuild.[37] Heinrich was fined €3000 and apologised for the incident.[38][39]
Heinrich's 2024 campaign saw him move stateside, as he partnered with Sebastian Priaulx in AO Racing's GTD Pro entry in the IMSA SportsCar Championship.[40] He claimed a runner-up finish on debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona,[41] before taking his maiden series victory two rounds later at Laguna Seca.[42] The duo followed up with another victory during the ensuing round at Detroit,[43] before Priaulx's Multimatic testing commitments forced him to step away from the program following July's race at Mosport.[44] A rotating cast of Porsche factory drivers would join Heinrich for the remainder of the season, which was highlighted by his third win of the campaign in a rain-affected race at Indianapolis.[45] The win meant Heinrich entered the final race at Road Atlanta with a 99-point lead over second-place Ross Gunn.[46] Heinrich scored pole, gaining five points over Gunn, who qualified third. This pole proved critical, as electrical issues relegated Heinrich to an eleventh-place race finish, while Gunn finished third. Heinrich, in turn, claimed the GTD Pro championship by four points over the British driver.[47]
Heinrich added a number of supplementary drives over the course of the season, including the majority of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup. He joined former DTM teammate Güven and Dorian Boccolacci in Schumacher CLRT's entry,[48] scoring a best result of second at the Nürburgring in July.[49] Heinrich also added a part-time drive in GT World Challenge Asia, scoring a victory at Sepang[50] alongside two further podiums during his six-race stint paired with Origine Motorsport's Lu Wei. One-offs during the Indianapolis 8 Hour[51] and FIA GT World Cup concluded a busy 2024 campaign for Heinrich.[52]
At the end of the year, Heinrich was named Dailysportscar's 2024 GT Driver of the Year,[53] and was also ranked in Autosport's Top 50 drivers of 2024.[54]
Heinrich returned to defend his GTD Pro title in 2025, partnering Porsche factory driver Klaus Bachler for the full season.[55] Following an eighth-place finish at Daytona, the duo scored AO's first endurance victory by taking a class win at the 2025 12 Hours of Sebring.[56] Heinrich returned to victory lane the following round at Laguna Seca,[57] before tallying another podium finish at Mosport in July. Following this event, Heinrich stated that he "better [understood]" IMSA racing, and counted himself a better driver than in his championship-winning debut season as a result.[58] The duo concluded the season fifth in the drivers' championship, just over 300 points behind title winners Antonio García and Alexander Sims. Following Petit Le Mans, Heinrich first tested the Porsche 963 alongside the factory Porsche Penske Motorsport outfit, with eyes on a potential drive for 2026.[59][60] Later that month, Porsche confirmed that Heinrich would make his WEC debut behind the wheel of a 963 during the season finale at Bahrain.[61]
Heinrich also participated in GT World Challenge Europe in 2025, taking on a similar part-time schedule to his drive in 2024 with Schumacher CLRT.[62] A part-time drive in the Thailand Super Series followed later that year,[63] alongside one-offs at the Bathurst 12 Hour[64] and Suzuka 1000 km.[65] Heinrich also returned to the Indianapolis 8 Hour[66] and FIA GT World Cup, scoring a podium finish in the latter.[67] Heinrich additionally took part in development work for the updated Porsche 911 GT3 R and 911 GT3 Cup cars over the course of the year.[68][69]
Factory promotion and GTP drive (2026–)
Ahead of 2026, Heinrich was named to Porsche's factory driver roster, having previously held 'Porsche-contracted' status.[70] This coincided with his promotion to Porsche Penske Motorsport's GTP driver roster, where he would take on the Michelin Endurance Cup rounds in the #7 entry alongside Julien Andlauer and Felipe Nasr.[71] A mid-season agreement with Porsche customer team JDC–Miller MotorSports would see Heinrich drive for the privateer squad in the 160-minute rounds alongside Tijmen van der Helm.[72] In the final lap of the 2026 Monterey SportsCar Championship at Laguna Seca, Heinrich completed a crucial pass for the lead on Earl Bamber's #31 Cadillac V-Series.R, helping JDC–Miller MotorSports become the first privateer team to win in the GTP era of the IMSA SportsCar Championship.[73]
Sim racing
Heinrich describes himself as a 'hybrid driver,' and he frequently competes in officially-sanctioned sim racing events alongside his real-world endeavors.[74] From a young age, he competed in high-level virtual motorsports, taking part in the Blancpain GT Series on iRacing while competing in the real-world ADAC Formula 4 Championship.[75] Heinrich also competed in the 2022–23 Le Mans Virtual Series, contributing to Porsche Team Coanda's championship victory with a victory at Sebring[76] and a runner-up finish in the season finale at Le Mans.[77]
Racing record
Career summary
* Season still in progress.
Complete ADAC Formula 4 Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete Porsche Supercup results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete 24 Hours of Nürburgring results
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 |  Dinamic GT |
Christian Engelhart Ayhancan Güven Laurens Vanthoor |
Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | SP9 Pro |
83 | DNF | DNF |
| 2026 | Lionspeed GP |
 Ricardo Feller Laurens Vanthoor |
Porsche 911 GT3 R (992.2) | SP9 Pro |
156 | 5th | 4th |
Complete GT World Challenge Europe results
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup
| Year | Team | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Pos. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Rutronik Racing | Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | Pro | MNZ 10 |
LEC Ret |
SPA 6H 12 |
SPA 12H 8 |
SPA 24H 5 |
NÜR 5 |
CAT 3 |
7th | 38 |
| 2024 | Schumacher CLRT | Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | Pro | LEC 14 |
SPA 6H 58† |
SPA 12H Ret |
SPA 24H Ret |
NÜR 2 |
MNZ | JED Ret |
15th | 18 |
| 2025 | Schumacher CLRT | Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | Pro | LEC 3 |
MNZ | SPA 6H 73† |
SPA 12H 73† |
SPA 24H Ret |
NÜR 4 |
CAT | 11th | 31 |
GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup
Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete Asian Le Mans Series results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Class | Car | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Pos. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | Herberth Motorsport | GT | Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | Porsche 4.2 L Flat-6 | SEP 1 |
SEP 2 |
DUB 9 |
ABU 1 5 |
ABU 2 10 |
18th | 13 | |
| 2024–25 | Origine Motorsport | GT | Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | Porsche 4.2 L Flat-6 | SEP 1 Ret |
SEP 2 5 |
DUB 2 4 |
DUB 2 8 |
ABU 1 12 |
ABU 2 24 |
12th | 29 |
| 2025–26 | Origine Motorsport | GT | Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | Porsche 4.2 L Flat-6 | SEP 1 6 |
SEP 2 3 |
DUB 1 10 |
DUB 2 2 |
ABU 1 4 |
ABU 2 17 |
6th | 58 |
Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)
| Year | Team | Class | Make | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | AO Racing | GTD Pro | Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | Porsche 4.2 L Flat-6 | DAY 2 |
SEB 9 |
LGA 1 |
DET 1 |
WGL 6 |
MOS 3 |
ELK 4 |
VIR 7 |
IMS 1 |
ATL 11 |
1st | 3122 |
| 2025 | AO Racing | GTD Pro | Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | Porsche 4.2 L Flat-6 | DAY 8 |
SEB 1 |
LGA 1 |
DET 5 |
WGL 5 |
MOS 3 |
ELK 8 |
VIR 5 |
IMS 7 |
ATL 8 |
5th | 2963 |
| 2026 | Porsche Penske Motorsport | GTP | Porsche 963 | Porsche 9RD 4.6 L V8 | DAY 1 |
SEB 1 |
PET |
2nd* | 2282* | |||||||
| JDC–Miller MotorSports | LBH 6 |
LGA 1 |
DET 11 |
WGL 3 |
ELK 2 |
IMS |
||||||||||
* Season still in progress.
Complete Bathurst 12 Hour results
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |  The Bend Manthey EMA |
 Morris Schuring Sam Shahin Yasser Shahin |
Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | Pro-Am | 303 | 10th | 2nd |
| 2026 | EBM |
 Klaus Bachler Ricardo Feller |
Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | Pro | 262 | 8th | 6th |
Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete European Le Mans Series results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Class | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | High Class Racing | LMGT3 | Porsche 911 GT3 R (992.2) | Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 | CAT 11 |
LEC |
IMO |
SPA |
SIL |
ALG |
21st* | 0* |
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 |  CrowdStrike Racing by APR |
George Kurtz Alex Quinn |
Oreca 07-Gibson | LMP2 | 358 | 21st | 7th |
| LMP2 Pro-Am | 1st |