Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East is sending its 2023/24 Champion Theo Oeverhaus to the final selection process to compete against eight other Porsche young guns from around the world for the chance to be inducted into the Porsche Junior Driver Programme.
Past graduates of the Porsche Junior Driver Programme include LeMans 24-Hour class winners and FIA GT World Endurance Championship competitors Matt Campbell, and Patrick Long who were plucked from their national Porsche racing series and joined the factory to compete around the world at places such as the Bathurst 12-Hour in Australia and the North American IMSA Sports Car Championship.
19-year-old Oeverhaus, originally from Osnabrück in Germany set the benchmark in the Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East claiming the title with seven wins from 12 starts as well as gaining six fastest laps, eight pole positions and nine podium results driving the DHL Team 992 GT3 Cup car in Bahrain, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Jeddah and Qatar.
Oeverhaus followed up with third place overall in the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland in Germany after taking that title in 2023 and finished 11th in his debut season in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.
In contrast to previous years, the Porsche Junior driver 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 and Porsche Motorsport will announce the new Porsche Junior on December 7 as part of the Night of Champions.
As the Middle East representative taking part in the competitive process, Theo Oeverhaus will be up against young drivers who have excelled in their regional Porsche championships such as 19-year old Francesco Braschi from Italy, Hugo Ellis from Great Britain, Dutch driver Loek Hartog racing in North America, Mathys Jaubert competing in both his homeland of France and the Porsche Carrera Cup in Asia, Sweden’s Robin Knutsson from the Carrera Cup Scandinavia, another Dutch driver Dirk Schouten racing in Benelux, wild card entrant, 17-year old Janne Stiak from Germany and Australia’s Jackson Walls competing in his homeland.
Since 1997, Porsche Motorsport has been supporting exceptional young drivers and guiding them to the top echelons with a support package of up to 225,000 euros each. The programme consists of extensive coaching and training in the areas of vehicle dynamics, mental work, nutrition, fitness and media relations.
