Julien Andlauer has the #7 Porsche 963 out entrance after 4 hours within the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
The Frenchman leads Porsche Penske Motorsport teammate Matt Campbell, driving the sister automotive #6 entry, by 1.9s across the 3.74-mile, 17-turn airfield circuit.
There was loads of chaos with 4 full course cautions as the sphere, with 110 laps accomplished so far.
From the beginning…
Pole-sitter Jack Aitken received a clear begin within the #31 Whelen Cadillac, however there was banging behind between the #93 Acura ARX-06 (Renger van der Zande and the #7 Porsche (Felipe Nasr) shouldered into each other a number of instances preventing for sixth.
Period Motorsport’s Naveen Rao took a drive-thru penalty lower than 10 minutes into the race after Race Management deemed him at fault for the contact that despatched LMP2 rival Jon Discipline (Intersport Racing) into a short spin.
Aitken started to catch the tail finish of the sphere simply quarter-hour into the once-around-the-clock race. In the meantime, the #6 Porsche 963 of Porsche Penske Motorsport’s Kevin Estre reduce by way of the visitors and vaulted from fourth as much as second just some minutes later.
#14: Vasser Sullivan Racing, Lexus RC F GT3, GTD Professional: Jack Hawksworth, Ben Barnicoat, Kyle Kirkwood, #1: Paul Miller Racing, BMW M4 GT3 EVO, GTD Professional: Neil Verhagen, Connor De Phillippi, Max Hesse, #59: RLL Crew McLaren, McLaren 720S GT3 EVO, GTD Professional: Max Esterson, Nikita Johnson, Dean MacDonald, #77: AO Racing, Porsche 911 GT3 R (992), GTD Professional: Nick Tandy, Harry King, Alessio Picariello, lead in the beginning throughout the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at Sebring Worldwide Raceway on March 21, 2026 in Sebring, Florida.
Photograph by: Photograph by Michael L. Levitt / Lumen through Getty Pictures
Rao’s depressing begin continued as he went nicely off in Flip 16, going past the signage and kicking up grime earlier than getting again on monitor with 25 minutes left within the opening hour.
12H of Sebring – Full course warning 1
The primary full course warning waved with roughly 22 minutes left within the first hour, with particles in Flip 5.
The primary run of pit stops the run of GTP groups to replenish vitality however not take tires, with a restricted provide to handle leaving them to double stint the beginning. Aitken was the primary out, adopted by van der Zander, Estre after which Blomqvist.
There have been driver adjustments in GTD Professional, as class pole-sitter and sophistication chief Jack Hawksworth was changed by IndyCar star and endurance add-on Kyle Kirkwood within the #14 Lexus RC F GT3 for Vasser Sullivan.
Nasr pitted as soon as extra, along with his GTP entry topping off because the crew seemed briefly behind his Porsche 963. He’ll restart behind the category in eleventh.
Aitken led the sphere on the restart with two minutes left within the opening hour, with van der Zande holding agency in second over Estre’s keen bounce.
The #93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing machine of van der Zande spun from third after a curb experience led to him spinning in Flip 16, dropping him to final in school.
The GTD battle for the lead started to warmth up as class pole-sitter Dudu Barichello (Coronary heart of Racing Crew) stalked Simon Mann (AF Corse USA) 70 minutes into the race. Barrichello overtook him a couple of minutes later as Mann slid his Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO large in Flip 16.
The #5 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963 of Kaylen Frederick was dumped by Nasr in Flip 10. Nasr’s aggressive transfer led to a drive-thru penalty moments later.
Estre chased down and received round Aitken in Flip 17 for the general lead almost 80 minutes into the race.
The #10 Cadillac V-Sequence.R underwent a driver change 100 minutes into the race, with Filipe Albuquerque changed by Ricky Taylor.
Estre hit the 50-lap mark simply shy of 103 minutes in, holding a 1.5s lead over Blomqvist. In the meantime in GTD, the #12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus of Frankie Montecalvo went behind the wall with an overheated gearbox.
12H of Sebring – Full course warning 2
The second full course warning got here out after roughly 110 minutes after Henrik Hedman (DragonSpeed) obtained harsh contact with Parker Thompson’s (Bryan Herta Autosport with PR1 Mathiesen). Hedman’s Corvette Z06 GT3.R was despatched onerous into the guardrail and tire barrier after the contact and got here to relaxation in Flip 3.
A run of pit stops with driver adjustments ensued, notably with Estre buying and selling seats with Laurens Vanthoor, Colin Braun in for Blomqvist, and Earl Bamber in for Aitken. Reigning and four-time IndyCar Sequence champion Alex Palou additionally made his first look within the race, taking on the #93 from van der Zande.
#93: Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian, Acura ARX-06, GTP: Renger van der Zande, Nick Yelloly, Alex Palou, pit cease throughout the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at Sebring Worldwide Raceway on March 21, 2026 in Sebring, Florida.
Photograph by: Photograph by Michael L. Levitt / Lumen through Getty Pictures
The aftermath noticed Cadillac maintain the highest three spots, led by Louis Deletraz within the #40 for Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing, forward of Ricky Taylor and Bamber.
Whereas using round underneath warning, the #31 suffered injury to the left-rear deck and was pressured to pit lane for service. After the workforce made a swap, Bamber was despatched again out however lined up behind the category. Regardless of the incident additionally involving the #6 entry, Race Management took no motion upon additional overview.
Earl Bamber, driver of the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Sequence.R run by Motion Specific Racing: “It was fascinating. The Porsche took us out underneath the security automotive. We have been simply warming tires, and he simply smashed the again of us. Guys did a extremely good job to alter every thing, and we type of received again by way of and we’re simply managing a couple of points and we’re simply in the course of the pack there.”
Deletraz led the sphere to the restart on the 130-minute mark, however it was Vanthoor powering from fourth as much as second, forward of Ricky Taylor and Braun. Moments later, Race Management handed Thompson a five-minute cease and maintain penalty for his half within the earlier incident with Hedman.
After 150 minutes, Laurin Heinrich, who restarted tenth within the class, was on a cost with the #7 Porsche 963 and pushed by teammate Vanthoor and Deletraz to propel into the general lead. Vanthoor took over second as Deletraz started to fall down the operating order.
Heinrich constructed up a lead of over 11s because the race approached the 170-minute mark.
12H of Sebring – Full course warning 3
The benefit was all for nothing, although, as a 3rd full course warning got here out as Risi Competizione #62 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO of Alessandro Pier Guidi and the #57 Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Russell Ward (Winward Racing) collided and left the wreckage in Flip 17. The incident was triggered when Pier Guidi tried to dodge the spinning #65 Ford Mustang GT3 of Sebastia Priaulx (Ford Racing), who hit the wall however was in a position to proceed on. The opposite two entries of Pier Guidi and Ward, who was going for 3 consecutive class wins in GTD, weren’t so fortunate.
Pit stops started underneath warning because the race hit the 180-minute mark, with Heinrich and Vanthoor have been the primary two out, however lined up second and third as Jordan Taylor, within the #40 for Deletraz, stayed out and assumed the lead after pitting earlier and going off-strategy.
The race restarted after 190 minutes, with Jordan Taylor holding Heinrich behind.
12H of Sebring – Full course warning 4
The total course yellow waved for a fourth time for particles in Flip 3. Previous to the warning, Vasser Sullivan’s #12 returned after an prolonged time behind the wall.
Pit stops and driver adjustments commenced, notably with Heinrich swapped out for Andlauer, Campbell in for Vanthoor, Vesti in for Bamber, and six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon in Acura Meyer Shank Racing’s #60 for Braun.
Andlauer got here out with the lead forward of Campbell, with Will Stevens in third after taking the reins of the #10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing machine from Ricky Taylor. Jordan Taylor fell to eighth after an prolonged cease for vitality replenishment.
Tristan Vautier stayed out whereas his LMP2 rivals pitted, along with his #8 Tower Motorsports machine forward of Johnny Edgar (AO Racing) and Daniel Goldburg (United Autosports USA).
The GTD Professional class was led by Triarsi Competizione’s Ricardo Agostini in #033 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO. Max Hesse (AF Corse USA) was second, with Nico Varrone (Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports) in third behind the wheel of the #4 Corvette Z06 GT3.R.
Fuoco led GTD, with Callum Ilott operating second within the #120 Porsche 911 GT3 R(992) for Wright Motorsports. Inception Racing’s #70 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO, pushed by Brenden Iribe, held third in school as the sphere approached eight hours remaining.
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