Porsche Dominates 12 Hours of Sebring with 963 One-Two Finish | IMSA 2024

Sebring, Fla. – Porsche Penske Motorsport secured a dominant one-two finish at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on Saturday, marking the German manufacturer’s 20th overall victory at the iconic endurance race. The No. 7 Porsche 963, piloted by Felipe Nasr, Julien Andlauer, and Laurin Heinrich, crossed the finish line 1.515 seconds ahead of the No. 6 Porsche 963 shared by Kévin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor, and Matt Campbell.

The victory extends Porsche’s lead in the overall standings of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and solidifies their position atop the Michelin Endurance Cup leaderboard, which encompasses the season’s five longest races. The race saw nine full-course caution periods, culminating in a tense 16-minute sprint to the checkered flag after the final caution with just under 20 minutes remaining.

While the race appeared to be heading for a controlled 1-2 finish for Porsche, a mid-race strategic call briefly threatened to alter the outcome. With approximately 1 hour and 11 minutes left, Nasr was initially instructed by the team to allow Estre, who was on fresher tires, to take the lead. However, Nasr aggressively reclaimed the position six minutes later, executing a decisive move on Estre into Turn 17.

“We had the right packages with the Porsche 963 in the top GTP class and the 911 GT3 R in the leading GT category,” said Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. “We were fast, the drivers kept their cool, and the teams worked flawlessly – we couldn’t have asked for more. Congratulations to our customer teams, the works squad, and all our partners. We’re delighted with this successful start to the season and these major achievements as we celebrate 75 years of Porsche Motorsport.”

The No. 6 Porsche briefly lost second place after a penalty assessed to Kévin Estre for a shortcut through Turn 15, surrendering the position to Jack Aitken in the No. 31 Action Express Racing Cadillac V-Series.R. Estre quickly regained second place before pitting for the final time.

Porsche’s success wasn’t limited to the GTP class. Customer teams Manthey Racing and AO Racing achieved a one-two finish in the GTD Pro class with the Porsche 911 GT3 R. Manthey Racing, driving the distinctive “Grello” livery, secured their first IMSA victory with Thomas Preining, Klaus Bachler, and Ricardo Feller at the wheel. AO Racing’s Nick Tandy, Harry King, and Alessio Picariello finished a close second. Wright Motorsports rounded out the Porsche podium presence, finishing third in the GTD class.

“Like last year, we’ve come away from Daytona and Sebring as winners of the ‘36 Hours of Florida’ – I take my hat off to the entire team,” said Urs Kuratle, Director Factory Motorsport LMDh.

“Winning Sebring on the heels of Daytona is an incredible experience,” said Laurin Heinrich, driver of the winning No. 7 Porsche 963. “A one-two finish for Porsche and Penske – unbelievable. Our team has once again showcased just how strong we are. Our race was flawless and we came out on top. For me, it’s a perfect day.”

Kévin Estre, driver of the No. 6 Porsche 963, expressed disappointment despite the second-place finish. “After a few hours, it became clear that the race win would come down to our Porsche and the 963 driven by our teammates. Both cars spent time at the front, and we just came up short.”

Thomas Preining, driver of the winning GTD Pro Porsche 911 GT3 R, highlighted the rapid progress of the Manthey Racing team. “I’m impressed with how quickly we have found our stride as a new team in IMSA. Our team has made tremendous progress.”

Nick Tandy, driver of the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R, acknowledged a challenging race but praised the team’s strategy. “A fantastic race. Our Porsche ran really well, and the team did an immaculate job. We had a bit of bad luck during a yellow phase, but we made the most of it with a bold strategy – and it paid off.”