Matt Campbell joined Andre Heimgartner in Bathurst 1000 2021. Image: Mark Horsburgh
Matt Campbell says he is a long-term commitment to Porsche but would like to stay connected to the Repco Supercars Championship as a co-driver.
Campbell made a surprise return to the Bathurst 1000 this year after Earl Bamber was banned from participating in the Great Race with Kelly Grove Racing due to a conflict.
It was the first time since 2017 that the Porsche works driver took part in the famous 161-lap race.
For Campbell, winning the Bathurst 1000 remains a lifelong goal, although his focus is firmly on his program at Porsche.
Campbell will contest the IMSA SportsCar Championship at least in 2022.
In anticipation of potential programs in the FIA World Endurance Championship and GT World Challenge Europe, which he contested in 2021, the 26-year-old said he is dying to return to the Bathurst 1000 next year.
“I would love to continue as a passenger, that would be really nice, of course to keep the connection alive in supercars and to have the opportunity to come back and continue to drive the Bathurst 1000,” Campbell told Speedcafe.com.
“That would be really nice every year, but of course it depends on the calendars, as I say. Of course, for the foreseeable future, I’ll be primarily involved with Porsche, and that’s where I want to stay.
“Maybe towards the end of my career in Europe I will try to work full-time in supercars. But certainly not in the near future.
“We have a really good understanding and relationship between me and Porsche and a direction for the future, and that’s where I want to stay for the time being.”
A look at the LMDh prototype from Porsche Penske Motorsport
Campbell is slated to participate in Porsche’s upcoming prototype return in 2023.
The German manufacturer will rejoin the IMSA and WEC with a prototype built according to the LMDh regulations and operated by Penske.
Although Campbell was not convinced of his involvement in any potential Porsche Penske Motorsport program, he said he was excited about the future of IMSA and WEC as they enter a “golden age”.
Both championships will include greater manufacturer involvement, with Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Acura and Alpine committing to LMDh regulations.
“All of my programs at Porsche are currently centered around endurance races and GT, be it in IMSA or WEC or GT World Challenge or whatever,” said Campbell.
“In the next 18 months or so there will be a new series of regulations for the prototype but also for the GT, and that’s really exciting.
“I think this will be the new golden era of modern GT and sports car prototypes for endurance racing.
“It’s nice to see and I think there is more or less a long-term plan from the series, but also the involvement of the manufacturers in the new regulations, which start in 2023. That is really exciting. “
Porsche was successful in its last promotion to the top tier of sports car racing and won the driver and manufacturer titles of the World Endurance Championship in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
He also won the Le Mans 24 Hours three times in the LMP1 era.
For Campbell, he sees no reason why Porsche should not continue this form when they return to the new regulations.
“The pedigree of Porsche and its history goes so deeply into sports cars and endurance racing,” said Campbell.
“I don’t see why you can’t do that in the future when you step into the new regulations, which is really very exciting.
“The interest that the manufacturers have sparked looks really exciting and Porsche with its pedigree is sure to keep up and it will be really interesting to see how it all develops in the next 18 months or so.”
