Porsche’s LMP1 programme Technical Director Alex Hitzinger has announced that he is to depart from the team and the company before the start of the 2016 racing season to take on a new challenge outside motorsport.

Hitzinger departs officials on 31 March after more than four years with the programmes part of an ever-present management trio with Fritz Enzinger (Vice President LMP1) and Andreas Seidl (Team Principal) that took both the Le Mans 24 Hours win, and the WEC Manufacturers, Teams and Drivers Championships in 2015 with the 919 Hybrid.

Fritz Enzinger: “On behalf of Porsche I want to thank Alexander Hitzinger very much for his huge contribution to the outstanding successes of the Porsche 919 Hybrid. He was one of the first people to come on board at the end of 2011. I appreciate his desire for a new challenge.

“We are well prepared for the 2016 season. Within our team, which has a total of 260 employees, we also have a remarkably strong group of engineers working for the management team. The 2016 Porsche 919 Hybrid is ready to go.”

Hitzinger’s successor will be decided at a later date.