- Four Porsche 963 compete in the 73rd running of the 12 Hours of Sebring
- Porsche Penske Motorsport highly motivated following Daytona victory
- Factory driver Nico Müller celebrates his race debut in the 963
- Four Porsche 911 GT3 R entered in the two GT classes
Porsche Penske Motorsport is looking to extend its championship lead in the second round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. Following victory at the season opener in Daytona, the factory team is targeting success at the storied 12 Hours of Sebring with its two Porsche 963. Two additional hybrid prototypes from customer teams JDC-Miller MotorSports and Proton Competition will also compete in the top-tier GTP class. In the two GT categories, partner teams will enter a total of four Porsche 911 GT3 R.
The 12 Hours of Sebring will take place for the 73rd time on March 15th. During an official IMSA test in February, the Porsche Penske Motorsport team made extensive preparations for the upcoming endurance classic. Factory driver Matt Campbell set the fastest lap during the two-day test session at the wheel of the No. 6 Porsche 963. The two 509 kW (692 PS) Porsche 963 fielded by Porsche Penske Motorsport, along with the customer-entered prototypes from JDC-Miller MotorSports and Proton Competition, will face even stiffer competition in the GTP class this year: Aston Martin will make its debut in IMSA’s top category.
“The 24 Hours of Daytona was a hard-fought battle over the full race distance, and we expect nothing less for the second round at Sebring,” says Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. “We’re looking forward to facing the new competitors from Aston Martin. Our race cars serve as global brand ambassadors, and we relish competition in strong fields. The tougher the opposition, the more valuable the victories. All Porsche teams are hungry for success at Sebring.”
“During recent test sessions at Sebring, we continued working on the optimal setup for the Sebring International Raceway – with its notorious bumps, which gave us quite a challenge last year, it’s a unique track,” explains Urs Kuratle, Director Factory Motorsport LMDh. “The test results were promising, although they don’t allow us to draw clear conclusions about the competitive order for the race. Since its race debut in January 2023, the Porsche 963 has been the most successful car in the LMDh category. We proved that again at Daytona, and we intend to reinforce that in Sebring.”
“The 12-hour race is one of the highlights on the calendar,” emphasizes Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director Porsche Penske Motorsport. “We’re still chasing our first win there. In 2023, we were leading with 20 minutes to go when both Porsche 963 were caught up in an incident. Our clear goal: we want to take the win at this prestigious event. After our Daytona triumph, we’re hungrier than ever for another victory.”
Factory drivers Matt Campbell from Australia, Mathieu Jaminet and Kévin Estre from France will share driving duties in the No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963. In the Daytona-winning No. 7 car, Felipe Nasr from Brazil and Nick Tandy from the UK will be joined by reigning World Endurance Champion Laurens Vanthoor from Belgium. In Proton Competition’s customer-entered Porsche 963, Swiss driver Neel Jani will team up with Chilean Nico Pino and France’s Tristan Vautier. The JDC-Miller MotorSports hybrid prototype will be driven by Gianmaria Bruni from Italy, Dutch racer Tijmen van der Helm and Porsche factory driver Nico Müller from Switzerland. The regular pilot of the Formula E customer team Andretti celebrates his debut at the wheel of the Porsche 963.
GT categories: four Porsche 911 GT3 R targeting class victories
In the GTD Pro class, two Porsche 911 GT3 R will take the green flag. Former Porsche Juniors Laurin Heinrich from Germany and Klaus Bachler from Austria will share the wheel of AO Racing’s “Rexy” with Belgian Alessio Picariello. In Proton Competition’s identical 911 GT3 R, Porsche factory driver Richard Lietz from Austria will be one of the drivers.
Following a podium finish in the GTD class at Daytona, Wright Motorsports will field a strong lineup at Sebring, with Americans Elliott Skeer and Adam Adelson teaming up with Australian Tom Sargent. In the pink-liveried Iron Dames 911 GT3 R, Denmark’s Michelle Gatting, Switzerland’s Rahel Frey, and Belgian Sarah Bovy will aim to make their mark.
The race
The storied endurance race at Sebring is renowned as a punishing test for both man and machine, while also serving as ideal preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. No other circuit on the IMSA calendar places such extreme stresses on the cars. One reason: part of the historic layout runs over a former military airfield. Around 30 percent of the track surface consists of concrete slabs, and the notoriously pronounced bumps present a unique challenge. This is why the track is often referenced with the hashtag #RespectTheBumps on social media.
The 73rd running of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s 12 Hours of Sebring will take place on the 6.02-kilometer Sebring International Raceway. With 18 overall victories, Porsche is the most successful manufacturer in the history of this endurance classic. Between 1976 and 1988, Porsche notched up 13 consecutive wins. The most recent Porsche overall victory came in 2008, when Germany’s Timo Bernhard together with Frenchmen Romain Dumas and Emmanuel Collard piloted a Penske-run Porsche RS Spyder to victory against a field of theoretically superior LMP1 prototypes.
Driver quotes ahead of the 12 Hours of Sebring
Matt Campbell (Porsche 963 #6): “Sebring isn’t just special because of the brutal bumps. The race itself is one of the highlights of the year. We tested there a few weeks ago, which was really important. Last year, we also completed a full endurance test there, which gave us a lot of valuable insights. I think we’re very well prepared. The team atmosphere is fantastic after our Daytona win.”
Felipe Nasr (Porsche 963 #7): “After our fantastic season opener win at Daytona, we tested at Sebring in mid-February. Now I can’t wait to get back in the Porsche and fight for another win. The 12 Hours of Sebring is one of the toughest races on the calendar: relentless bumps, constantly changing track conditions, and fierce competition. We know what it takes to be at the front there – we’re going all in.”
Neel Jani (Porsche 963 #5): “I’ll be driving the Porsche 963 at Sebring for the first time, and I’m excited. My memories of Sebring are great – I won the race overall in 2022, and I’d love to repeat that. However, it won’t be easy since we missed the recent Sebring test. In IMSA, anything can happen – every race offers everyone a shot. That’s what I love about this series.”
Nico Müller (Porsche 963 #85): “First of all, I would like to thank JDC-Miller MotorSports, Porsche and also my Formula E team Andretti for making this short-term assignment possible. I am very excited to be completing my first laps in the Porsche 963. I am even more honored to be able to do this at a prestigious racing event such as my first 12 Hours of Sebring. With JDC, Gimmi Bruni and Tijmen van der Helm, I have a lot of 963 and Sebring experience in the team. This will certainly speed up my learning process and put us in a good position.”
Richard Lietz (Porsche 911 GT3 R #20): “Sebring is always a tricky race, but Porsche has historically done well here. I hope we can continue that trend with our 911 GT3 R. Claudio Schiavoni, Matteo Cressoni, and I make a strong trio. If we can stay out of trouble, we’ll have opportunities.”
Laurin Heinrich (Porsche 911 GT3 R #77): “Our season opener at Daytona didn’t go as well as we’d hoped, so we’re determined to bounce back at Sebring. Last year, our Porsche 911 GT3 R was fast here. The car and the track are a good match. At Sebring, it’s all about having maximum performance for the final hour. We specifically focused on that during testing. On top of that, we learned a lot about the new torque sensors on the driveshafts at Daytona, and those insights should help us now. Our goal is clear: score maximum points and capture AO Racing’s first major endurance win.”
Rahel Frey (Porsche 911 GT3 R #83): “Sebring always comes with a lot of emotions. We’ve had strong pace here in the past but got caught up in incidents and made some mistakes ourselves. To be honest, Sebring isn’t my favorite track – it’s always a big challenge for me personally. But this year we’re racing in IMSA with the Porsche, which should make things a bit easier – plus, my teammates are very fast.”
Elliott Skeer (Porsche 911 GT3 R #120): “Sebring is without any doubt my favorite race. There’s a special, old-school energy at that place. We stood on the podium there in 2024, and with Wright Motorsports coming off a strong podium at Daytona, our expectations have gone up. Adam Adelson, Tom Sargent, and I are coming in after a very productive test, and I’m confident that we can execute a clean race. Let’s see what the twelve-hour battle brings.”
Porsche race cars at the 12 Hours of Sebring
GTP Class (Porsche 963):
Porsche Penske Motorsport #6: Matt Campbell (AUS), Mathieu Jaminet (FRA), Kévin Estre (FRA)
Porsche Penske Motorsport #7: Felipe Nasr (BRA), Nick Tandy (GBR), Laurens Vanthoor (BEL)
Proton Competition #5: Neel Jani (SUI), Tristan Vautier (FRA), Nico Pino (CHL)
JDC-Miller MotorSports #85: Gianmaria Bruni (ITA), Nico Müller (SUI), Tijmen van der Helm (NLD)
GTD Pro Class (Porsche 911 GT3 R):
Proton Competition #20: Richard Lietz (AUT), Claudio Schiavoni (ITA), Matteo Cressoni (ITA)
AO Racing #77: Klaus Bachler (AUT), Laurin Heinrich (GER), Alessio Picariello (BEL)
GTD Class:
Iron Dames #83: Michelle Gatting (DNK), Rahel Frey (SUI), Sarah Bovy (BEL)
Wright Motorsports #120: Adam Adelson (USA), Elliott Skeer (USA), Tom Sargent (AUS)
Event schedule (Local time = CET -5 hours)
Thursday, 13 March
10:05 am – 11:35 am: Free Practice 1
3:05 pm – 4:35 pm: Free Practice 2
7:45 pm – 9:15 pm: Free Practice 3
Friday, 14 March
11:25 am – 11:40 am: GTD Qualifying
11:50 am – 12:05 pm: GTD Pro Qualifying
12:40 pm – 12:55 pm: GTP Qualifying
Saturday, 15 March
10:10 am – 10:10 pm: Race
All Porsche overall victories at Sebring
1960 – Gendebien/Herrmann (Porsche RS-60)
1968 – Siffert/Herrmann (Porsche 907)
1971 – Elford/Larrousse (Porsche 917 K)
1973 – Haywood/Gregg/Helmick (Porsche Carrera RSR)
1976 – Holbert/Keyser (Porsche Carrera RSR)
1977 – Dyer/Frisselle (Porsche Carrera RSR)
1978 – Redman/Mendez/Garretson (Porsche 935)
1979 – Akin/McFarlin/Woods (Porsche 935)
1980 – Fitzpatrick/Barbour (Porsche 935 K3)
1981 – Leven/Haywood/Holbert (Porsche 935/80)
1982 – Paul Sr./Paul Jr. (Porsche 935 JLP-3)
1983 – Baker/Mullen/Nierop (Porsche 934)
1984 – Heyer/de Narvaéz/Johansson (Porsche 935 J)
1985 – Wollek/Foyt (Porsche 962)
1986 – Akin/Stuck/Gartner (Porsche 962)
1987 – Rahal/Mass (Porsche 962)
1988 – Ludwig/Stuck (Porsche 962)
2008 – Bernhard/Dumas/Collard (Porsche RS Spyder)
