Porsche Dominates Sebring!

The Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG has achieved up another major accolade at the 12 Hours of Sebring: Porsche Penske Motorsport’s pair of Porsche 963 clinched a one-two finish, repeating last year’s result. This success has handed the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer its 20th outright victory at the endurance classic.

Summary

Nasr/Andlauer/Heinrich triumph ahead of Estre/Vanthoor/Campbell
Both factory Porsche 963 fly Mobil 1 livery at 12-hour classic
Porsche 911 GT3 R locks out first and second in the GTD-Pro class
Wright Motorsports’ 911 on the GTD podium

Daytona winners Felipe Nasr, Julien Andlauer and Laurin Heinrich dominated in Florida in a gripping battle against fellow Porsche drivers Kévin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor and Matt Campbell. In the GTD Pro class, customer teams Manthey and AO Racing brought home first and second place with the 911 GT3 R. The last time Porsche scored a double triumph across two IMSA classes was in 2008.

Sebring treated fans to some action-packed racing: 75 minutes after the round two of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship went green, the No. 6 Porsche 963 swept into the lead for the first time. Shortly afterwards, the sister car moved to the front of the 55-car field, where it remained for half of the race.

After the last of nine safety car periods, a nail-biting sprint unfolded over the last 16 minutes: with defending champion Felipe Nasr from Brazil ultimately outpacing Frenchman Kévin Estre, the 2024 World Endurance Champion. In a repeat of last year’s success, the factory team’s No. 7 car scored victory in the first two rounds of the season at Daytona and Sebring. Thanks to this second win in 2026, Porsche further extended its lead in the overall standings. The sports car manufacturer also retains its spot at the top of the Michelin Endurance Cup leaderboard, which includes the five longest races of the year.

Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport, concluded: ‟We had the right packages with the Porsche 963 in the top GTP class and the 911 GT3 R in the leading GT category. 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.”

‟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,” added Urs Kuratle, Director Factory Motorsport LMDh. ‟Our team did an outstanding job, particularly during the prep phase, and arrived in Sebring fully dialed in from the very first practice session. From simulation to testing to the race itself, everything came together. I’m proud of everyone who contributed to this success.”

Customer teams

At the 12 Hours of Sebring, Porsche once again demonstrated its dominance in customer racing. In the top GTP class, JDC-Miller MotorSports put in a strong performance with the Porsche 963, and were at times on track for a podium finish. However, as temperatures dropped overnight, the American customer outfit was unable to maintain the pace of the frontrunners and ultimately finished ninth overall.

In the GTD Pro class, the Porsche 911 GT3 R, which received significant upgrades for the 2026 season, secured a one-two finish. The German customer team Manthey celebrated its first IMSA victory with the 416 kW (565 PS) ‟Grello” fan-favorite, followed closely over the line by the identical model campaigned by the American team AO Racing. In the GTD class, Wright Motorsports clinched a podium finish with the 911 GT3 R in the very final moments of the race.

Driver comments

Laurin Heinrich (Porsche 963 #7): ‟Winning Sebring on the heels of Daytona is an incredible experience. 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.”

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Kévin Estre (Porsche 963 #6): ‟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 in the end, we just came up short – very disappointing.”

Thomas Preining (Porsche 911 GT3 R #911): ‟I’m impressed with how quickly we have found our stride as a new team in IMSA. Our team has made tremendous progress. Thanks to everyone who has supported us along the way. Today’s race was challenging and very strategic. The last two hours were like a DTM sprint: flat out, full commitment, and battling wheel-to-wheel.”

Nick Tandy (Porsche 911 GT3 R #77): ‟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. Congratulations to the Manthey team on the win. We’re thrilled to take the points for our podium finish and are delighted with this strong result. After the disappointment in Daytona, this feels great.”