BERLIN, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Porsche swung to a

wider-than-expected operating loss in the third quarter, it said

on Friday, plunging the German sports car maker deeper into

crisis as it changes course on electric vehicles and battles to

stem sinking sales in top market China.

The group's operating loss stood at 967 million euros ($1.1

billion) in the third quarter, down from a 974 million euro

profit in the same period last year, burdened by expenses to

cover a major rollback on its EV expansion announced last month.

Analysts polled by Visible Alpha had expected an operating

loss of 611 million euros in the July-to-September period.

"We expect 2025 to be the trough that precedes a noticeable

improvement for Porsche from 2026 onwards," Porsche CFO Jochen

Breckner said, warning "large-scale solutions" were needed in

current restructuring talks with labour representatives.

Porsche CEO Oliver Blume, who is also CEO at

parent Volkswagen, will hand off the top Porsche job

to ex-McLaren boss Michael Leiters at the start of 2026, the

group said last week, following long-standing investor criticism

over the dual role.

Leiters is set to inherit one of the biggest crisis cases in

Europe's beleaguered auto sector, hit by falling demand in China

and pressure on margins from U.S. tariffs.

($1 = 0.8575 euros)