“The biggest step in my career”: Hear from 2025 Porsche Junior Theo Oeverhaus

Theo Oeverhaus prevailed against eight other candidates in the Porsche Motorsport Junior Programme Selection Process to be named Porsche Junior 2025.

The 19-year-old from Osnabrück, Germany, was nominated by Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland - where he finished third overall in 2024, taking one victory - and the Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East, where he took the title with seven wins.

After an extensive evaluation process, which also included various analyses, application videos and personal interviews, Oeverhaus was named as the new Junior 2025.

Speaking after the announcement, he said it was “probably the biggest step in my career, it’s something I’ve always wanted to be.

"After becoming a junior, the goal of the works driver is within reach. So I got a little closer to my dream and I'm very happy about that.

“Being a Junior for Porsche is amazing - I cannot imagine a better brand to be a Junior of. The Juniors of Porsche and the Junior Programme is awesome and I’m really happy to be part of it.

“It’s a privilege, because Porsche is the best brand where you can start your racing career and where you want to drive.

Oeverhaus’s motorsport journey began aged 12, when his father purchased his first racing kart. Just three years later, he made his debut in the BMW 318ti Cup, where he raced for two years.

From there, he progressed to DTM Trophy, becoming its youngest ever race winner with the Walkenhorst BMW at Hockenheim in October 2021.

More firsts came the following year, when he became the youngest-ever driver to compete in a DTM race, making a guest appearance at the Nürburgring to supersede Pascal Wehrlein, who made his debut aged 18 at Hockenheim.

Though he feels the result “was not like the way I wanted,” Oeverhaus says it was “a huge privilege for me and a great experience for sure.”

Oeverhaus made his Porsche one-make up debut in 2023, aged 18, and was an instant success, becoming Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland Rookie champion.

In 2024, he continued in the German championship, finishing third overall, and was crowned champion in the Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East.

It was those two championships which nominated Oeverhaus for the Junior Programme selection process.

“I won the Championship title in the Carrera Cup Middle East and fulfilled the criteria of the participation in the selection process,” Oeverhaus says.

“From Carrera Cup Deutschland, this was a bit of a surprise for me, because even when also fulfilling the criteria, the other Rookies were also doing a very good job in the standings.

“So for that I am very thankful that they announced me for the junior shootout and now I am the junior and I am super happy about it.”

The Junior programme is one of the central components of the Porsche Motorsport pyramid, and has supported exceptional young talents since 1997.

As part of the programme, Oeverhaus will receive a sponsorship package of up to 225,000 euros, and will be supported with extensive coaching and training in the areas of vehicle dynamics, mental work, nutrition, fitness and media relations.

Even though the selection for the Porsche Junior 2025 did not take place on a race track, candidates had to undergo an extensive evaluation process. In addition to analysing driving activities, they had to present themselves on the basis of various tasks and convince the selection committee of their merits.

Oeverhaus says he was “very nervous” as “meetings are not the thing I’m confident in,” but his hard work paid off, hearing the news while working in his day job as a plumber for his father’s company.

“I was at work, because between race weekends I work normally, so then I got the call and I was so excited - it was probably one of the biggest achievements of my career,” he adds.

Speaking about his inspirations in motorsport, he names former Formula 1 drivers Daniel Riccardo and four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel as two drivers who he admires.

“I really like Daniel Ricciardo, because off-track he is an amazing personality and always has a smile on his face,” he says. Also, in his prime days, he was a really good racing driver, really good overtaking manoeuvres and braking and I really looked up to him.

“Also Sebastian Vettel is always an idol of a German driver, also a great personality and was such a great driver.”

For 2025, Oeverhaus is planning a participation in the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland and will definitely be part of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, where he hopes to build on the strong results achieved in 2024.

Looking further ahead, his long-term goal is to race in and achieve success in the FIA World Endurance Championship with the Porsche Penske Motorsport Team.

Having already made his mark on the motorsport world and with great promise ahead, Oeverhaus is sure to continue his ascent in the coming years.