Sebring, Florida – The 73rd running of the 12 Hours of Sebring included a dominating effort from Porsche Penske Motorsport, with the team posting a one-two win in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) category. The No. 7 Porsche 963, which was shared by Nick Tandy, Felipe Nasr, and Laurens Vanthoor, won the race, Porsche’s first overall Sebring win since 2008. Their sister car, the No. 6 Porsche 963, piloted by Mathieu Jaminet, Matt Campbell, and Kévin Estre, finished second, a flawless day for the German brand.
For British driver Nick Tandy, this win holds big significance. He already secured victories at Le Mans, Daytona, and Spa, his win at Sebring completes a rare career grand slam of endurance racing.
“This is a moment I’ve been working towards for years. To win here with Porsche and my incredible teammates is a dream come true,”
Tandy said after the race.
Race Overview: Strategy and Performance Define the Outcome
The marathon endurance, which was fought under sweltering 31°C temperature, saw intense battles across all classes. The starting stages of the race saw the Action Express Cadillac No. 31 (Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, Frederik Vesti) as the closest competitor to Porsche. The Porsche 963s had one decisive advantage—fuel efficiency. During the final caution period, the Porsches were able to stretch their fuel runs, not doing the extra pit stop that ended up costing the Cadillac valuable minutes.
Saying goodbye to hope with 30 minutes to go, a sprint to the finish had no competitors for the Porsche duo. Third place went to the No. 93 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06 driven by Renger van der Zande, Nick Yelloly, and Álex Palou, being incredibly competitive in the very strong LMP2 GTP competition.
LMP2 Drama: A First for Inter Europol
The LMP2 division saw its own dramatic shift of fortunes in the closing moments. The APR-Oreca No. 04 was on the way to win when a late caution upset the order. Inter Europol No. 43 driver Tom Dillmann took advantage of the action, holding off Sebastien Bourdais in the Tower Motorsports No. 8 to bring the team its first-ever IMSA LMP2 victory. Third went to TDS Racing with their No. 11 Oreca after suffering an accident-marred race.
AO Racing’s “Rexy” Takes GTD Pro WIN
In the GTD Pro class, AO Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 R, affectionately known as “Rexy,” stole the show. After a rough Daytona race, the team made a return to form, with Laurin Heinrich, Klaus Bachler, and Alessio Picariello delivering a flawless performance to claim the class win. The Paul Miller Racing BMW No. 48 was second, followed by the sister BMW No. 1, in a complete effort for the M4 GT3 Evo.
Deeper in the field, Corvette Racing had an unfortunate race. The No. 3 Corvette C8.R struggled with suspension issues, while the No. 4 car’s hopes were ruined by an electronic data recorder glitch that lost them multiple laps.
GTD Class: Late-Race Battle Earns Win for Winward Mercedes
The GTD class provided one of the day’s most thrilling battles. With a daring pass just 15 minutes from the chequered flag, Philip Ellis muscled his way past Jack Hawksworth’s Vasser-Sullivan Lexus No. 12 to claim victory for Winward Racing’s Mercedes-AMG GT3. The Heart of Racing Aston Martin No. 27 finished third on the podium, completing a closely contested race.
With the 12 Hours of Sebring completed, the IMSA SportsCar Championship now focuses on shorter races, beginning at Long Beach on April 12 with a 100-minute sprint. Porsche Penske Motorsport will look to maintain their momentum as the championship battle intensifies.
Sebring 2025 once more proved to be one of the toughest endurance races in motorsport, with Porsche’s historic win guaranteeing its place in history at the iconic Florida circuit.