Photo credit: Porsche
In preparation for the 12 Hours of Sebring, Porsche Penske Motorsport’s two Porsche 963 vehicles will start from the second row of the grid. Factory drivers Felipe Nasr and Mathieu Jaminet qualified in third and fourth positions, respectively. The customer teams, Proton Competition and JDC-Miller MotorSports, will begin the race from fifth and ninth positions on the grid. In the GTD Pro class, AO Racing achieved a strong qualifying result, securing second place with their Porsche 911 GT3 R.
The qualifying session took place under clear skies and temperatures around 25 degrees Celsius in Central Florida. However, the session was interrupted due to a Cadillac stopping on the track shortly after it began, resulting in a red flag. The remaining four minutes determined the grid positions for the race.
Felipe Nasr managed to complete a single flying lap during the limited time, clocking in at 1:47.522 minutes, which earned him the third position in the No. 7 Porsche 963. Teammate Mathieu Jaminet attempted a second lap but finished just 0.076 seconds behind Nasr. Urs Kuratle, Director of Factory Motorsport LMDh, commented on the unusual circumstances of the session, stating, “That qualifying was a little unusual. The interruption threw a spanner into our entire strategic plan for our laps and warming the tyres and brakes.” He expressed confidence in the team’s performance despite the challenges.
Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director of Porsche Penske Motorsport, also noted the difficulties faced during qualifying, describing it as disjointed due to the red flags and heavy traffic. He acknowledged the drivers’ ability to navigate the situation effectively.
For this race, Nasr will share the No. 7 Porsche 963 with Nick Tandy and Laurens Vanthoor, while Jaminet will drive alongside Matt Campbell and Kévin Estre in the sister car. Neel Jani, driving for Proton Competition, qualified fifth, while Gianmaria Bruni secured ninth place for JDC-Miller MotorSports.
In the GTD Pro class, Laurin Heinrich from AO Racing achieved the second-fastest lap in the Porsche 911 GT3 R, while Richard Lietz qualified eleventh in Proton Competition’s entry. Customer teams faced challenges in the GTD category, with Michelle Gatting and Adam Adelson qualifying eleventh and thirteenth, respectively.
The 12 Hours of Sebring will commence on March 15 at 10:10 am local time, with a free live stream available through imsa.tv for viewers outside the US and Canada.
Drivers provided insights into their qualifying experiences. Nasr remarked on the chaotic nature of the session, emphasizing the importance of performance on race day. Jaminet described the challenges he faced, including traffic and a car sliding off the track, which impacted his lap time. Jani expressed satisfaction with his fifth-place result, noting the lack of prior testing at the venue. Heinrich highlighted the significance of grid position for championship points, while Gatting acknowledged the competitive edge of other teams and the need for adjustments to the car’s setup for the race.