In the 30-year history of the Porsche Supercup, promoting young talent has always been essential. In 2018, the series introduced its own Rookie Programme, which provides structured training and support for ambitious and talented young drivers from the customer teams.


Up to eight Rookies are supported by an experienced coach, and receive individual training in all the different skills that professional racing drivers have to master. In addition to driving, the focus is on fitness, mental training, personal development, and marketing/sponsor acquisition. What’s more, as part of the "Meet the Legends" lecture series, Rookies get to spend some time with former Porsche factory drivers who were also successful in the Supercup – and get valuable first-hand tips for their own career. The programme gives Rookies in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup the best possible chance of developing into truly great drivers.

Even before the Rookie Programme, some storybook racing careers started in the Porsche Supercup – for example Earl Bamber. The New Zealander drove his first full Supercup season in 2014, claimed the overall victory and was subsequently accepted into the Porsche factory driver squad. He then qualified for the LMP programme in the Porsche 919 Hybrid, and won the endurance classic at Le Mans just a few months later.


And Bamber isn’t the only one whose path to a professional racing career took him through the Porsche Supercup. Big names including Sven Müller, Dirk Werner and Kévin Estre were successful in the international Porsche one-make cup before they became permanent Porsche factory drivers.

The professional support participants in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Rookie Programme receive can make all the difference to a driver’s career – this can be seen in the continued success of former Rookies including Ayhancan Güven (2019) or Laurin Heinrich (2021) in the series.


At the end of a successful Porsche Supercup season as a Rookie, there may even be the chance to compete in the Le Mans 24-hour race, as Max van Splunteren did so impressively in the 2020 season. In any case, the winner of the programme receives a DMSB Permit Nordschleife (DPN), Grade A – and Porsche covers the costs of license, organisation, travel and more.


Up-and-coming drivers with high potential come to the attention of team bosses and their scouts through their performance in the racing series. This opens up other opportunities on the road to becoming a professional racing driver.

The coveted 8 places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Of course, it’s not quite enough to be a young and talented driver – you have to fulfil a few requirements to qualify as a Rookie. For example, you must not have taken part in more than 5 races in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in previous years, and you must not be older than 25.


In order to participate in the Rookie Program, applicants must submit a fully completed "Application for Driver Entry" and pay the corresponding entry fee. Drivers are obliged to participate in at least six of the eight rounds, and to comply with the programme's code of conduct. Furthermore, drivers should be in top physical condition, which is confirmed by a medical test at the beginning and end of the season. Members of the Porsche Motorsport Junior Programme are not permitted to participate in the Rookie Programme. If you would like to contact the series, please email Oliver Schwab at oliver.schwab@porsche.de.


You can find out more details about the contents and benefits of the Rookie Programme in the pdf linked for download below