Porsche Carrera Cup North America champion Hartog among candidates as selection process for the 2025 Porsche Junior enters the hot phase

Atlanta. The Porsche Junior program is one of the central components of the German sports car manufacturer’s motorsport pyramid. Since 1997, Porsche Motorsport has been supporting exceptional young drivers and guiding them to the top echelons of motorsport with a support package of over 225,000 euros. The program consists of extensive coaching and training in the areas of vehicle dynamics, mental work, nutrition, fitness and media relations. This has yielded huge success, as proven recently by Frenchman Julian Andlauer. The 2018 and 2019 Porsche Junior will be promoted to the  factory – or “works” – driver squad next year, stepping into the cockpit of the Porsche 963 in the top class of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).

Andlauer’s future colleagues Michael Christensen from Denmark (2012 – 2013), Mathieu Jaminet from France (2016) and Australian Matt Campbell (2017) also owe much in their professional careers to the Porsche development program. Alessandro Ghiretti, the current Porsche Junior, will benefit from a second year of the junior initiative in 2025. The 22-year-old Frenchman won the Porsche Carrera Cup France and the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia in 2024.

Nine talented youngsters, one common goal: Porsche Junior 2025

Porsche Carrera Cup North America (PCCNA) will have 2024 champion Loek Hartog (Netherlands) representing the premier Porsche one-make race series in the United States and Canada. The youngster, who finished second overall in the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland in 2023, won seven of the 16 rounds in his first season in America. The 22-year-old receives support from Porsche motorsport legend Patrick Long. The American acts as a coach in the PCCNA’s program to promote up-and-coming talent through the Porsche EBOOST North America Junior Program.

Among the other participants, the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland and the Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East are sending Theo Oeverhaus to the final selection process. The 19-year-old from Osnabrück followed up his rookie title in 2023 with third place overall in the German one-make cup and the title in the Middle East this season. The German, who already has experience competing in DTM, finished eleventh in his debut season in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.

The Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland, which offers targeted training for promising young drivers at an early stage as a part of its own talent pool program, is also sending 17-year-old Janne Stiak into the contest as a wildcard entry. In the 2024 season, he contested the German one-make cup in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car and finished eleventh. The driver from Germany achieved sixth place in the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia. Ten days ago, Stiak underlined his potential once again by winning the Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East season opener in Bahrain.

Another wildcard candidate comes from the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia.  Francesco Braschi, 19, finished the national one-make cup in seventh place. The Italian also gained his first taste of the fiercely competitive Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, which is held as part of the Formula 1 supporting program, while the Carrera Cup France and Carrera Cup Asia have both nominated Frenchman Mathys Jaubert for the selection process. The 19-year-old has impressed this year with second place overall (France) and third place overall (Asia). Jaubert was the third-best rookie in this year's Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup season.

The Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux sends its overall winner, Dirk Schouten, to the final elimination round. The 23-year-old Dutchman secured three race wins and four additional podium finishes in the 2024 season. Hugo Ellis represents the historically strong Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain. The 23-year-old from Bournemouth finished his national one-make cup in third place overall this season. The Porsche Carrera Cup Australia is sending Jackson Walls (21) to the qualification round, while the Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia has nominated Robin Knutsson. The 22-year-old Swede won the overall classification of the 24 Hours of Zolder 2024 at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

Global 2025 Porsche Junior Candidates

Intensive junior development at a national level

The extensive promotion and training of talented young drivers at Porsche begins at a national and regional level. Numerous one-make cups from the sports car brand have established successful programs in recent years. In North America, the Porsche EBOOST North America Junior Program provides an opportunity for the drivers to receive a range of educational tools, training and support to take the next step in their career. These include a Junior Driver Workshop that provides an intensive two-day program to broaden and sharpen talents not only behind the wheel but also out of the cockpit. In 2024, the Workshop included career counseling from IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTP class champion Dane Cameron, physical evaluation and training as well as nutritional and social media guidance. The 2024 Workshop was held at Team Penske in Mooresville, North Carolina and included a tour of Porsche Penske Motorsport, the Yokohama Tire tech center and a full pit stop training session with Porsche Penske’s championship winning pit crew.

Former Porsche works drivers Patrick Long and Patrick Pilet are also committed to helping young talent. In the U.S. Junior Program begins in the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama, includes Porsche Carrera Cup North America and expands to the Porsche Selected Driver Program North America for drivers focused on a career in the United States and Canada. Like his contemporary, Pilet contributes his extensive expertise to the Junior Program of the Porsche Carrera Cup France. In addition to the Junior Program, the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain also offers the Young Driver Development Program.

Selection process culminates in crowning of the Porsche Junior on December 7

In contrast to previous years, the Porsche Junior for the 2025 season will not be determined in a shootout on a racetrack. Extensive performance checks have already taken place on a national level, and Porsche Motorsport will carry out further analyses. During subsequent interviews, experts will gain a precise understanding of the candidates’ character traits and approaches. In the coming weeks, a committee will decide on the allocation of the extensive support package for the 2025 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup season. Porsche Motorsport will announce the new Porsche Junior on December 7 as part of the Night of Champions.

The candidates at a glance:
Loek Hartog (Netherlands, 22 years old) – PCC North America
Francesco Braschi (Italy, 19 years old) – PCC Italia (Wildcard)
Hugo Ellis (Great Britain, 23 years old) – PCC Great Britain
Mathys Jaubert (France, 19 years old) – PCC Asia / PCC France
Robin Knutsson (Sweden, 22 years old) – PCC Scandinavia
Theo Oeverhaus (Germany, 19 years old) – PSCC Deutschland / PCC Middle East
Dirk Schouten (Netherlands, 23 years old) – PCC Benelux
Janne Stiak (Germany, 17 years old) – PSCC Deutschland (Wildcard)
Jackson Walls (Australia, 21 years old) – PCC Australia