Category: IMSA

No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R grabs pole at Sebring; No. 01 Cadillac second

SEBRING, Fla. (March 15, 2024) – For the second consecutive race and the second year in a row at Sebring International Raceway, Cadillac Racing secured the front-row staring spots.

Cadillac Racing earned its 25th pole award in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship prototype competition since 2017 as Pipo Derani topped Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) qualifying for the 72nd Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Cadillac. That total includes five at Sebring International Raceway.

Derani, the reigning IMSA GTP champion, toured the demanding 3.741-mile, 17-turn course in 1 minute, 48.152 seconds to pace the 10-car field. The No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R, driven by Sebastien Bourdais, qualified second with a best lap of 1:48.299 during the scheduled 15-minute afternoon session that was interrupted by a red flag. The field had 4:04 after the stoppage to put in their best laps.

“Congratulations to the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R on securing pole position in qualifying for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Cadillac,” said John Roth, global vice president of Cadillac. “We are excited to get back on the track and compete for the overall win this weekend.”

Derani was also the pole sitter for the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona in late January and Bourdais was close behind in second. It is also the same order as the 2023 race.

“It is a good start for the race, but it’s a long race,” said Derani, who will share driving duties with Jack Aitken and Tom Blomqvist.

Notables

• Cadillac has won the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring the past three years and five times since joining IMSA prototype competition in 2017.
• Derani is a four-time winner of the race.
• The race will mark the 100th IMSA start for Renger van der Zande, co-driver of the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R with Scott Dixon and Bourdais. He has at least one victory in each of his 10 IMSA seasons.
• The No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R leads the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup standings after the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
• Bourdais holds the Sebring circuit lap record of 1:45.166 (128.025 mph) set on March 18, 2022, in the No. 01 Cadillac DPi-V.R during qualifications.

Peacock will provide flag-to-flag streaming coverage beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET Saturday, March 16. USA Network’s telecast is from 4-10 p.m. IMSA Radio’s race broadcast begins at 9:30 a.m. on IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com along with Sirius channel 211, XM 207, Web/App 996, at the track at 100.9 FM, and Sebring station 99.1 FM).

An interview with Pipo Derani (drove No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R in qualifying; best lap of 1:48.152; starts first)

Tell us about qualifying. How is it shaping up for tomorrow?

“It was a difficult qualifying session. It’s never easy when you have a red flag situation and you have to put the lap in. I was told over the radio that I could potentially have a second flying lap if I pushed. So, I obviously pushed but I was way too close for comfort to the No. 40 Acura. I was able to put the lap in but was a little bit disrupted because it wasn’t such a clean lap because he made a few mistakes in front of me, so I lost a little bit of time trying to control that distance to make sure I guaranteed a lap in case I didn’t have a second one. For sure, there’s more from the lap time. It wasn’t a perfect lap because of those things I said. Nevertheless, it was enough to be on pole. It’s never the nicest way to get a pole – for the grid – when you know that no one was able to achieve the full potential of their cars. Nevertheless, it’s still the same for everyone. You still have to put a lap in. You make no mistakes in such a pressure situation. I was able to extract to a certain extent enough out of the car that was good enough for pole. Very hot conditions, which makes it even more interesting how you operate the tires. It’s a tricky situation.”

Where to you think the Cadillac is best around the track?

“I don’t think there’s a place where it’s stronger. If you look at the DPi era, I think the car was better throughout the race. I think in GTP the Cadillac seems to be, at least here in Sebring, very positive on the heat of the day compared to the others. We tend to lose a little bit that advantage at night, I believe. Last year we saw Acura and Porsche very strong at the end. We restarted first and we lost some of that edge that we had throughout the day. We led a bunch of the race last year, but at the end we weren’t as competitive as in the beginning. It’s an area that as a team we’ve been working on from last year to try and improve. Obviously also last year at the very beginning of the race I had a contact with a P3 car that spun right in front of me, which damaged the floor of the car. We as a team are not sure how much of that damage influenced the end of the race. I think my honest opinion is that it’s not a matter of having a part of the track that it’s better for us, it’s more a matter of how the tire is reacting to the temperature. It still remains to be seen if a good car without any damage, if we are as strong as we were during the day, at night. Obviously the 01 didn’t get to the end of the race last year. It’s a bit of a question mark on that point. I would say it’s more temperature related as to a specific part of the track itself.”

How difficult is it to put in a flying lap in a short session?

“Well, the reality is that it’s the same for everyone. It’s not like there was someone who had put a lap in and then all the others were just basically waiting. In the end of the day, when you think of it this way, you just got to go and do the best you can. I honestly don’t feel much pressure in those situations. I feel like I handle it quite well. At the end of the day sometimes it’s better to be a bit on the conservative side and put a lap in than try a little bit over and make a mistake. In our car, I went out with a set of tires, had a red flag. I asked the team to change the tires and go with another new set, which was a risk because we didn’t know how much time the red flag was still going to be on. As you guys saw, as we went out, the 40 car, I think he kept the warm tires from the previous run, so he overtook me on cold tires. That’s the only situation where in that situation you don’t really know whether you’re going to have enough time to get the tire ready to do the lap. I think what helped us is it’s really hot out there and it helped us to bring the tires in a different way on the out-lap so that they were ready. That’s not always the case. It could in a much cooler condition be disruptive to one team or another because you might make the wrong choice whether you keep or not the tires, then you don’t have enough time to have them in the right window for a lap. I like pressure situations like that. I was happy to be able to put the lap in.”

Did you use three sets of tires?

“No, I went out on one, then as we came into the pit for the red flag, I asked them to change.”

What are track conditions like?

“I think the whole weekend the track is not as quick as last year. At Sebring, it’s quite usual to see that happen. Sometimes even during the day there’s periods of the day where you’re much quicker than others. Especially compared to when we were here a month ago during private testing, we were quicker than we are now. It’s just the condition that we have right now I think is a track condition and not cars. I would say, let’s say, if I had a perfect lap, it’s hard to say, but you could possibly be 4/10ths quicker than what I was, which would still be, if I’m not wrong, far from the pole position last year.”

Sebastien Bourdais (drove the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R in qualifying; best lap of 1:48.299; starts second): “It was a bit of a longshot (for pole) with the pit position we had. Couldn’t really put any heat in the tires on the second attempt (after red flag) and started the lap in the tail of the 10 (car). There really wasn’t any gap for me and the Lambo started to check up before the last corner and I knew I had to do the last corner somewhat quick and I ended up really close to the 10, but there was nowhere else to go. Just a shame that they put the red flag on us just before I could complete the first timed lap. That would have been enough for pole. We’ll take out second and go from there.”

Celebrating 50 years

The No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R has a special gold Mobil 1 livery for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Cadillac, celebrating the brand’s 50th anniversary. ·Mobil 1 is the factory fill for all Cadillac CTV-5 Blackwing production cars, and has been available to customers in GM dealerships since 1986.

Media resources

• Event guide: Cadillac storylines, bios, stats and more * Wins: Cadillac Racing results 2023-2017 at Sebring. * 2024 so far: Cadillac IMSA GTP statistics. * On-track photos: The Sebring race weekend

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Cadillac V-Series

In addition to being the presenting sponsor of the main event, Cadillac is the Official Luxury Vehicle of Sebring International Raceway and is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its V-Series sub-brand that was unveiled during the Twelve Hours of Sebring.

Spectators have the opportunity to see the exciting roster of Cadillac vehicles, including the award-winning CT5-V Blackwing and Cadillac Escalade, at the Cadillac display in the Fan Zone Saturday from 8 a.m.-7 p.m.

• Sofronas Follows 2023 Year-End Sweep at Circuit of The Americas with Pro-Am Victory in Season-Opening IMSA Porsche Carrera Cup Race in His No. 14 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
• Kyle Washington Fights to a Fifth Place Masters Class Finish in Career Sebring Debut in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

SEBRING, Florida (March 14, 2024) – James Sofronas made a triumphant return to Sebring International Raceway while his close friend and GMG Racing teammate Kyle Washington made a grand career debut on the legendary 3.74-mile airport circuit in Thursday’s season-opening IMSA Porsche Carrera Cup North America race.

Picking up where he left off after a sweep of 2023’s year-end Carrera Cup doubleheader at Circuit of The Americas, Sofronas secured his third-straight Pro-Am class victory in his No. 14 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in his first race at Sebring in six years.

Washington has been competing regularly in a variety of single-make Porsche and GT racing series for the last four years but remarkably had never made a race start at Sebring until today. He steadily improved in his No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup throughout the fast 40-minute race to charge from ninth at the start to a top-five Masters Class finish.

Sofronas took the green flag from third on the grid but immediately challenged the two competitors in front. He raced side-by-side for a time on the opening lap with the Pro-Am class polesitter and prevailed to take the lead by the end of lap one.

Sofronas ultimately led all 17 race laps run but had to overcome a restart and pressure from second place finisher Marco Cirone throughout the race. He crossed the finish line a scant 0.179 of a second ahead of Cirone.

“We missed the testing here the last week or two, so I had to play catch-up,” Sofronas said. “I was behind the eight ball most of the week, and then in qualifying I just got a solid lap in and then just used a lot of my experience. There may have been some faster guys but I think a lot of my decisions were right on. Marco and I had a battle to the end and that was a lot of fun. He raced me clean, I’ve watched him race before, and it was great to battle with a strong competitor.”

Washington’s race was spent fighting among the Pro-Am back markers and in the thick of the Masters Class field while also having to learn Sebring’s notoriously tricky and bumpy circuit.

“I’m just happy this new car doesn’t have one scratch on it,” Washington said. “When you look at the carnage of what happened in front of me, how there’s no scratches on that new car is unbelievable. I went off twice just to save my car, and you can point fingers, but if you’re out of the race, that doesn’t matter. So, sometimes you have to take one for the team. There’s some aggressive corners here if people want it to be, but I have a new car that I didn’t want to scratch in the first race of the year.”

Not one to hang back, Washington takes Sebring’s “Respect the Bumps” tagline even further. He is more like “Love the Bumps.”

“I actually like the bumps, being a desert rat and loving off road stuff,” Washington said. “The bumps probably favor me. The high speed, no horizon turns are challenging for me but I think we’re getting better at them. There’s a lot of timing corners here. Turn 1, there’s really no markers for turn in, and when you add other people next to you it’s a real butt pucker. We’ve got another kick at the can tomorrow.”

A West Coast team in operation year round, GMG did indeed skip the pre-season Carrera Cup test earlier this month at Sebring, but Sofronas, Washington and the entire team really had no off season. All were in action throughout the winter in races and test days at The Thermal Club near Palm Springs. Sofronas and GMG are completing a new headquarters operation there that will have a grand opening this summer.

“I did yet another race at Thermal a couple of weeks ago for some fine tuning and it is such a great place for us to practice and really get some off season testing in,” Sofronas said. “It helps that we’re building a shop there and I’m there all the time, so I may as well get some seat time. It helped me prepare for today’s race that was different from the COTA races. We had so many yellows at COTA, but this race was one caution and then we settled in. I was playing it conservative, not making any mistakes, easy in and fast out as I coach my clients.”

Washington is one of GMG’s top driver clients and Sofronas was proud of his Sebring debut.

“Kyle’s been great, he finished top five,” Sofronas said. “I threw down an EBOOST before the race and it gave me all the energy I needed. Coming out on top was very rewarding, so we’ll celebrate and do it again tomorrow.”

Sofronas has been racing in partnership with Mobil 1 for 30 years and was proud to get the leading brand – which is the longtime sponsor of this weekend’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring – to Victory Lane on the company’s 50th Anniversary. The winning No. 14 GMG Porsche features a special Mobil 1 Golden Anniversary livery.

“Even before GMG was founded, I was honored to have the incredible support from Mobil 1 for several decades,” Sofronas said. “The opportunity to work with them here at a race where several of us are running special gold liveries and logos to celebrate the milestone anniversary is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. We look forward to continuing with them for many years to come and can’t thank Mobil 1 enough for the ongoing partnership.”

Friday’s final 40-minute Carrera Cup race of the Sebring opener is a sprint into the night that starts at 7:15 p.m. and ends at 7:55 p.m. EDT.

About GMG Racing: Founded in 2001, GMG Racing quickly established itself as North America’s premier performance tuning facility. What began as a small 1,200 sq. ft. shop, maintaining two race cars, has grown into a 30,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art performance tuning, racing and service facility located in Santa Ana, California in Orange County and with a trackside motorsports facility at 28,000 sq. ft. currently being built at The Thermal Club. The staff, attention to detail, and passion are what make GMG the choice of professionals and enthusiasts worldwide. GMG, in its early years, was located directly across the street from Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA). This close proximity allowed GMG to build a strong relationship with the legendary racing brand which has helped us support our customers to the highest level possible. From club racing to Sebring, Daytona and Spa, GMG can take you as far as you want to go. More information can be found at www.gmgracing.com.

Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams have early-season leads across six different IMSA GT Daytona (GTD) championships heading into this weekend’s 72nd edition of the 12 Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway. Winward Racing’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD victory and a top performance by Korthoff Preston Motorsports in the first round of the 2024 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup (IMEC) in January’s season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona are at the foundation of the strong early-season championship leads. Rolex 24-winning drivers Russell Ward, Philip Ellis and Indy Dontje co-drive the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 at Sebring while IMEC GTD co-leaders Mike Skeen, Mikael Grenier and Kenton Koch compete in Saturday’s 12-hour race in the No. 32 Korthoff Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3. A third Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer entry at Sebring is the No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT of Salih Yoluç, Rui Andrade and Scott Andrews.

With the team’s full season Mercedes-AMG GT4 driver Daniel Morad joining Ward, Ellis and Dontje at Daytona, Winward Racing put in a convincing performance for its second Rolex 24 victory in the last four years to go along with 2021’s maiden triumph. The Winward No. 57 ran up front for the majority of the twice-around-the-clock classic for a race-high 383 laps led out the 731 circuits completed in the GTD class.

Winward now hopes to bring that winning Daytona momentum to Sebring where they have been fast since they debuted at the track in 2021 but have yet to put together a strong result at the finish.

Reigning IMEC GTD champions, the No. 32 Korthoff Preston team and drivers battled in the lead pack for the majority of the Daytona race and led a total of 36 GTD laps. The team was ultimately just a tick off the front runners in the final fight to the finish, but they backed up their fifth-place result at the checkered flag by winning Daytona’s opening round of the IMEC in the GTD class.

The Korthoff Preston team and drivers head into round two of the five race IMEC championship at Sebring tied for first place in the GTD standings with 13 points.

Winward’s overall WeatherTech Championship GTD Rolex 24 win in turn brings the No. 57 team and drivers to Sebring leading the championship standings with 364 points, 24 ahead of the nearest challenger. Winward’s strong run at Daytona also ranks the No. 57 a close second in the IMEC standings, just one point behind Korthoff Preston and the other co-leader, 13 – 12.

Mercedes-AMG left Daytona with the biggest championship leads following some post-race performance infraction penalties assessed to the manufacturer that had provisionally finished second and third in GTD. Mercedes-AMG leads the WeatherTech Championship GTD manufacturer championship standings with 371 points, a full 43 tallies ahead of the nearest competitor ahead of Saturday’s race. Mercedes-AMG also has an equally solid five-point lead in the IMEC GTD championship, 18 – 13, over the second-place challenger.

Another race-leading performance at Daytona was turned in by the debuting Rolex 24 and Sebring 12 Hour team Lone Star Racing. The No. 80 Lone Star squad led five laps and charged from the back of the field to the front three times to be in a position to contend for a podium spot in the race’s final hour.

Unfortunately, an untimely late caution derailed Lone Star’s chances when they were forced to enter a closed pit lane for emergency service and were assessed pit procedure penalties. The team recovered as best they could in the race’s final minutes for an eighth-place finish.

Winward’s great weekend at the Daytona opener also included a close second-place finish in Friday’s season-opening IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race. Morad was in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 and catching the race leader on the final lap but settled for the runner-up result 1.936 seconds behind the winner. Morad co-drives again at Sebring with Russell Ward’s father Bryce Ward, who ran in the top-10 throughout his race-opening stint in Daytona.

The Daytona opener also saw the debut of Mercedes-AMG GT4 standouts Michai Stephens and Jesse Webb who scored a top-10 Pilot Challenge GS-class finish in the No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4. They look to improve on that result at Sebring where Stephens and Webb won a GT4 America race in a Mercedes-AMG GT4 last year.

A third Mercedes-AMG GT4 entry comes from Thaze Competition and co-drivers Marc Miller and the debuting Josh Green in the No. 78 Thaze Competition Mercedes-AMG GT4. Miller and the team finished third in the Thaze’s GT4 debut last year at Detroit and Green fits right in with that fast-out-of-the gate approach. Green qualified an impressive fourth overall in the Pilot Challenge Grand Sport (GS) class Thursday that set the field for Friday’s two-hour race that starts at 3:15 p.m. EDT.

The weekend’s featured 12 Hours of Sebring IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race is scheduled to start at 9:40 a.m. EDT this Saturday, March 16. The race can be seen live in its entirety on NBC’s Peacock streaming network beginning at 9:30 a.m. EDT on Saturday. Broader coverage to the finish begins on the USA Network starting at 4 p.m. EDT and straight through the checkered flag at 9:40 p.m. EDT into post-race interviews until 10 p.m. EDT.

Russell Ward, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “This will be our third time at the 12 Hours of Sebring, and we haven’t actually finished the race yet. We’ve set ourselves up so good for the championship, winning Daytona, and now just want to finish the Sebring race. We did some testing here earlier, and the car was really quick. Honestly, the track suits the Mercedes-AMG GT3. We’ve always been fast there and led a lot of laps in the last two years that we’ve done it. We’ve come in here without a lot of experience in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and have done quite well. We’re always trying to chase that victory, that winning high. From my experience in IMSA, it’s all about the preparation. If you’ve prepared the car well, you come in with a lot of confidence and then it’s usually an easy race. Speed wise, over the past two years, it was an easy race. We know we have a good package, and we are well prepared for this event. I’m hoping we can get this one on our list of victories.”

Philip Ellis, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I don’t think you can prepare so much for Sebring. I think it’s more about experience, so the last two years were the best preparation we could have. Testing, of course, is always nice if you get to test at Sebring but it doesn’t really prepare you for the race, for the traffic and what comes at you, especially in the last two hours of the race. Compared to last year, we’ve all matured a lot more from the experience that we’ve gained, and our main focus is to finish the race. The biggest mistake we made in the last two years is taking too much risk where we didn’t have to, early on in the race. We always had a really good car, and a really good team and a really good driver lineup that put us out in front. We were either a bit too naïve or maybe even a bit too cocky making moves we shouldn’t have done early on in the race. That usually costs us a good result in the end. Both years we could have fought for the podium, if not the win, in GTD, and that is the goal this year.”

Mike Skeen, Driver – No. 32 Korthoff Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “We had a great run at Daytona. No major mistakes, and the team did an awesome job. We’ve always had a great pit crew that executes well, and I think we’ll have a strong car at Sebring again. We did get a test in between the Rolex 24 and the 12 hour, and we’re pretty excited about how the car is performing. We’re learning a bit more every time out about the new Michelin tire and we should be strong. Most of the crew has endurance experience, and obviously all of the drivers do, so we understand that realm. The team has really done a fantastic job to make that their strength. Even the shorter races are endurance races, too. They’ve done a great job, and we seem to do really well every time in the endurance stuff. We won the Michelin Endurance championship last year, we are co-leading it now, and hopefully we can keep that up. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 is always a very consistent car. It helps to have consistency every lap and having a lot of confidence in the car over bumps. That makes for a stable platform that you can get everything out of and fight hard all day long.”

Kenton Koch, Driver – No. 32 Korthoff Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It was good to get the endurance cup win at Daytona. We were really hoping for better than that, obviously, and this year we have a little bit of a different mindset on how we are approaching the races. Rather than trying to optimize the endurance cup points, we are going to try to optimize the strategy to get the result at the end. One strategy can hinder the end goal, and at Daytona we just kind of lucked into being in the right place at the right time. If that happens again at Sebring, great, but hopefully we get the win. It was good to come test here a few weeks ago, especially with the new compound of the new Michelin tire.”

Scott Andrews, Driver – No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “After a successful yet seemingly anticlimactic Rolex 24 At Daytona, I’m really looking forward to seeing what the Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 can do around Sebring. AJ Petersen and the team always prepare an amazing car. We definitely have a lineup of drivers and crew to do the job. We just have to make sure we do everything to the best of our ability, and we will see where we end up. It’s a difficult track mechanically for the cars and physically for the drivers, but we are looking forward to the challenge.”

SEBRING, Florida (March 12, 2024) – The Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) pair of Acura ARX-06 GTPS enter the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring for the second round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Sebring International Raceway is a 17-turn, 3.74-mile road course that serves host to the iconic endurance event for 12 hours of intense racing action. As the duo of the No. 10 Konica Minolta and No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06s enter the weekend, the elusive Twelve Hours of Sebring title is on the radar for the WTRAndretti teams, seeking their first victory at the famed event since 2017.

No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 co-drivers, Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque, return alongside IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup co-driver, Brendon Hartley, with redemption on their minds. Although the Rolex 24 At Daytona didn’t provide the result the blue and black team had anticipated, it’s a fresh mindset for the trio in the No. 10 machine heading into Sebring. In the 2023 12-hour event, the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 team led over a third of the event (115 laps) before an incident in the closing minutes took the No. 10 out of win contention

The No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 team piloted by Louis Delétraz and Jordan Taylor will be joined by Colton Herta, the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup driver for the red and black team. Taylor is a two-time Twelve Hours of Sebring winner – one victory as an overall winner in 2017 with WTRAndretti and another in 2022 as GTD PRO class winner. Delétraz will look to provide his experience in the 12-hour endurance event after competing in the No. 10 team in 2023 while this weekend’s event will mark Herta’s third time competing at Sebring International Raceway. After a successful debut of the No. 40 at the Rolex 24 At Daytona with a podium finish, it’s all about continued momentum at Sebring.

The WTRAndretti team will get to work with on-track preparations beginning with practice at 10:05 a.m. ET on Thursday, March 14 while qualifying is set for 1:10 p.m. ET on Friday, March 15 around Sebring International Raceway. The 72nd Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring will see the green fly at 9:40 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 16, with Peacock providing flag-to-flag coverage of the endurance event with USA Network broadcast set for 4:00 p.m. ET to 10 p.m. ET.

Wayne Taylor, Team Principal, WTRAndretti: “This is our second race as a two-car team at WTRAndretti. We had a good result with the No. 40 car at Daytona, unfortunately the No. 10 car had problems, so they didn’t finish as well. I think the team has grown a lot since Daytona and we are perfecting everything that goes with going from one car to two cars. I’m just excited to go racing again, it’s been a long break. Everybody is really focused. All I can say is we’ve never had any good luck at Sebring, but we’ve always had a good car there. So now that we have two, maybe we can at least get one to have a good result, obviously we want both of them. I’m looking forward to it, I’m not sure what the weather forecast is yet but excited to go racing.”

No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 GTP Drivers
Ricky Taylor, 2024 Full Season Co-Driver: “Sebring is our second longest race of the year, but still only half of Daytona. It is such a grueling event that is difficult to make it to the end between how many cars are on track, how bumpy the track is, and how the conditions can change so dramatically. We had a great test and have prepared ourselves to endure the 12 hours, and with two very strong race cars. Even in our second season with the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06, we are continuing to learn each weekend about not only what makes the car faster but how to manage a whole stint and all of the other details that go into being competitive. And we always learn things in races that cannot be learned in testing when it comes to comparing ourselves with our competitors. We had a great test a few weeks ago and it will again, be our first Sebring 12 hour with two cars, so I am really looking forward to having two bullets in the WTRAndretti gun. The cars had strong pace at the test and felt nice to drive, and I don’t think the drivers and team could be any more motivated to go for the first Sebring victory for the team since 2017.”

Filipe Albuquerque, 2024 Full Season Co-Driver: “I can’t wait to go to Sebring. It seems like this break has been awhile, feels almost like two months, so I just can’t wait to get back in the car and drive. Daytona was tough for the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 car, but let’s go again and I think the pace was good due to the circumstances that we had so full motivation on. Last year was chaotic, crazy, and wild – most likely will be same this year – let’s just hope it’ll come to our end this year. The performance is there, the WTRAndretti team is super motivated. We have great lineup in me, Ricky, and Brendon as well as the 40 car, they are doing amazing, so let’s go racing.”

Brendon Hartley, 2024 Endurance Co-Driver: “I love racing at Sebring and love racing with WTRAndretti, so I have only positive vibes heading to the Sebring 12 hour. They don’t make tracks like this anymore and I think all the drivers have a love-hate relationship with the quirks that Sebring has to offer. No room for error and high adrenaline for 12 hours of hard racing, how good! The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 was fast in Sebring last year and felt great when I tested there a few months back. Let’s go!”

No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 GTP Drivers
Louis Delétraz, 2024 Full Season Co-Driver: “I’m very excited to go back to Sebring, it’s a track and event I absolutely love. We have scored strong points in Daytona and worked hard since then to be ready and competitive. We are strong as a group and I’m looking forward to push the No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 to its limits with my teammates, Jordan and Colton. Let’s try to keep the good momentum going and bring another trophy home!”

Jordan Taylor, 2024 Full Season Co-Driver: “Daytona feels like a year ago, so it feels great to be getting back to a racetrack. We had a fantastic finish at Daytona all things considered, but I think we should be more in the hunt for the Sebring 12 hour. We had a great test at Sebring last month, so I’m excited to get back and pick back up where we left off. I think we made some good steps at the test itself and some more progress with the sim time we had last week. It’s another hectic endurance race where a lot can and will happen, so hopefully we can have a clean race and be in the fight for it at the end.”

Colton Herta, 2024 Endurance Co-Driver: “I’m excited to get back in the No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 and get back to sports car racing. I haven’t done the Twelve Hours of Sebring in a few years so I’m excited to get back to that track and see what this car has to offer for it. Rolling off a really good finish at Daytona and we have a positivity going into this weekend so hoping it’s good one and I’m confident we can be fast there.”

ABOUT WTRANDRETTI
Andretti Global and Wayne Taylor Racing announced a new, long-term partnership in 2023 that combines the resources of the two championship-caliber teams to compete in IMSA’s top classes. In 2024, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) has expanded to a two-car GTP program as well as competes in the GTD class. Coming off its 2023 championship winning effort, WTRAndretti continues its Driver Development Program competing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series with a full stable.

WTRAndretti’s global motorsports enterprise boasts two IMSA driver championships (2013 and 2017), and back-to-back IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Championships (2020, 2021) which contributed to nine IMSA manufacturer championships for Acura, Pontiac, Corvette and Cadillac. In its brief 17-year history, WTRAndretti has accumulated multiple victories in sportscar racing’s most iconic events: Rolex 24 At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans, Mid-Ohio, Road America and the Six Hours of The Glen. With its back-to-back PRO Class Championship wins (2022, 2023), WTR also has ten North America Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship titles and a Lamborghini World Finals title.

Andretti Global, a Championship-winning motorsports organization, competes in additional racing categories worldwide, including the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Extreme E, Australian Supercars and the Mexico SuperCopa Championship. Additionally, the racing enterprise commits to driver development through competition in INDY NXT by Firestone and through support of Sebastian and Oliver Wheldon’s racing careers.

WTRAndretti’s long term partnerships include Acura, Honda Racing Corporation US (HRC), Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA, DEX Imaging, Harrison Contracting Company and Gainbridge.

• Veteran Prototype Driver Field and Current Top Talent Koch Both Lead in Two Hour Race for Scant 1.682 Seconds Margin of Victory in Pro-Am in the No. 37 One Motorsports Ligier
• Tobias Lutke and Travis Hill Secure Am-Class Win in No. 22 TWOth Autosport Ligier

SEBRING, Florida (March 10, 2024) – Kenton Koch pulled off the winning pass heading into the white flag lap and went on to take a narrow 1.682 seconds margin of victory over James French to win Saturday’s inaugural HSR Prototype Challenge presented by IMSA two-hour race in the No. 37 One Motorsports Ligier JS P3 with co-driver Jon Field. French, who co-drove with Alex Koreiba, secured runner-up honors in the No. 25 Wolf Motorsports Ligier JS P3 while John Reisman and Eric Curran finished third in the No. 74 Hudson Historics Ligier JS P3.

The debut race of the new HSR and IMSA series for LMP3 machines was a competitive and at times thrilling race from the drop of the green flag. After starting driver Field impressed by leading every lap of his race-opening stint, Koch took over the One Motorsports No. 37 for the final 75 minutes.

The top on-track driving by both the veteran Field and contemporary sports car racing front runner Koch was backed up by great race and pit strategy by One Motorsports. With teams required to make three pit stops during the race, One made the call to check two of them off in near succession on laps 20 and 22.

The back-to-back visits to the pits dropped the No. 37 up to 30 seconds behind leader French, but the Wolf team’s third and final stop put the No. 25 back on track just in front of a fast-closing Koch.

Setting the fastest lap of the race of 1:59.014 on lap 36, Koch steadily charged to the front throughout his stint, setting the stage for a nose-to-tail battle with French when pit stops for both competitors were completed with less than 15 minutes to go.

Koch made the winning pass on the penultimate lap when a slight bobble by French going into Turn 15 opened the door to the lead. French in turn kept the pressure on Koch as they took the white flag moments later but never got close enough to attempt retaking the lead in the closing minutes.

Reisman and two-time IMSA WeatherTech Prototype champion Curran, who made a return to racing after a multi-year hiatus, stayed in touch with the leaders throughout the race and joined the top-two finishers as the only three competitors to complete 52 laps in the race’s two hours.

Prototype Challenge Am-class honors went to Tobias Lutke and Travis Hill in the No. 22 TWOth Autosport Ligier JS P3. The win came in just Lutke’s second and biggest race to date after previously competing in the TWOth P3 last November in the HSR Daytona Historics at Daytona International Speedway.

Next up for the IMSA Prototype Challenge presented by IMSA is a another two-hour feature race at the 46th HSR Mitty at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, April 26 – 28.

Noteworthy:

• While French came up just short in his battle for the Prototype Challenge win, he did score a victory in the first hour of Saturday’s race in another thriller. The LMP3 Prototype Challenge main event shared the track with HSR Group 6 competitors that ran their own race in the first 60 minutes of the overall two-hour event. French pulled double duty, also driving the 2010 No. 7 Panoz DP02 with Ralph La Macchia in the Group 6 contest. As the starter waved both the green flag for the LMP3 race and the checkered for the Group 6 teams one hour in, French pulled off a winning pass in the final turn of the race for the victory.
• Veteran prototype driver Field earned the unique honor of now having led the opening laps of an inaugural series race twice in his long and accomplished career, although both feats are nearly 25 years apart. In the inaugural Grand American Road Racing Association (Grand-Am) race at the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 2000, Field took the green flag in fourth place at the race start but passed several top competitors – such as James Weaver and Ralf Kelleners – to lead the first laps in Grand-Am racing history. Not surprisingly, the Ford-Lola B98/10 Field drove in that race carried his same and trademark No. 37 that is also on Saturday night’s winning LMP3.

Jon Field, Driver – No. 37 One Motorsports Ligier JS P3: “These are just really good prototype cars, and just watching Kenton and James French at the end there was phenomenal for me, even as a spectator at that point. I really was happy with my drive at the beginning of the race. I was able to keep them behind me, and it was just great. It was fun. I have been running Radicals, but I am happy to be back in bigger Prototypes.”

Kenton Koch, Driver – No. 37 One Motorsports Ligier JS P3: “It’s a good concept. We have all of these P3 cars lying around, and we should be doing something with them. So why not bring them here and race against some good guys. There’s a lot of good guys out here right now. Being able to have the chance to work with and co-drive with Jon Field is a real honor. He has such a history. It was a good battle we had going with James. He got off the corners really good. We were better in the second half of the straightaway, and he was better in the first half. The only way I was able to get by him was to get into his mirrors a little bit. He made a couple of little mistakes, which gave me some clean air on the front of the nose of the car. Then I could get the exit I needed because in these ‘areo’ cars if you get close to someone you can’t get an exit. I got him off the apex one time and that was all I needed to get by him for the lead down into Turn 15.”

James French, Driver – No. 25 Wolf Motorsports Ligier JS P3: “It was an inaugural event, and you never know exactly what to expect, but for me it’s just a real privilege to be able to race with these guys. I have been working with the Wolf guys for a couple of years as a driver coach, a friend and just hanging out. My co-driver Alex and I have been friends for a while, and we have been doing lots of sim-racing together. To actually have the chance to put everything together and have a good series like this to showcase these P3s and how reliable, quick and fun they are to drive is a great experience. It was a great event. I have been racing with Kenton for a long time. It’s awesome to have a good battle with him. We always have good battles. He pushes me hard, and I like to think I push him hard. Great to see him out there, we tried to put on a show for everybody and keep it competitive. We came up just a bit short, but we will try again next time.”

John Reisman, Driver – No. 74 Hudson Historics Ligier JS P3: “I think it is a great concept for all of the LMP3 cars, a great series and it is always so much fun racing with HSR. It’s great they are now with IMSA, and we are looking forward to the series growing. It was my first race in a P3, it’s different, but I have a really good coach in Eric to help me through it.”

Eric Curran, Driver – No. 74 Hudson Historics Ligier JS P3: “This is a lot fun. It is great to be back at Sebring. It’s been, I think, five years since I was here and the last time, we won the 12 Hours of Sebring in the Whelen car. It’s so cool to be back here. I kind of stepped away from racing for a couple of years, but my good friend John was like ‘hey, let’s get one of these LMP3 cars and go do some IMSA HSR racing.’ It’s so much fun, we have become great friends, and he does an unbelievable job behind the wheel for not being a pro. It’s great stuff. Hudson Historics and all of those guys on the team just do a phenomenal job. It’s fun to be here at Sebring, fun to finish on the podium, but we want to move up a couple steps in the next few races. We will be here all season and we are looking forward to it.”

Tobias Lutke, Driver – No. 22 TWOth Autosport Ligier JS P3: “Prototype racing is the best, this track is so amazing, and we would like to share the fun. We want more competitors out here, and it is just great, great racing, especially on a nice evening in Florida. That’s never a bad idea! I drove at the beginning and raced into the sunset. Turn 7 was directly into the sun, which was an entirely new experience, but that’s OK. This is a lot of car! These things are just really good fun.”

Chris Ward, HSR President: “We couldn’t be happier with the highly competitive inaugural HSR Prototype Challenge presented by IMSA race Saturday night at Sebring International Raceway with a two-hour event nothing short of entertaining throughout and an absolute thriller at the end. We can’t thank One Motorsports, Wolf Motorsports, Hudson Historics and TWOth Autosport for their early commitment to our newest series and for collectively setting a competitive cornerstone on which this championship will be built. Their performance Saturday night is a clear endorsement that Prototype Challenge will only grow, and we have already heard from numerous additional competitors, both at Sebring and away from the track, who look forward to joining the action. On to The Mitty at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, and the work to bolster the series with even more cars and competitors starts now.”

About HSR: An International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) property, Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) was formed in the mid-1970s with an event at Road Atlanta. There was one goal then and it remains true today: to celebrate the race cars from the past. As a “time machine” of sights and sounds, HSR provides a venue for competitors and spectators alike to share in the wonderful history and excitement created by the cars that competed at race tracks around the world. HSR currently sanctions eight vintage and historic racing events at some of the world’s most renowned race tracks, including Road Atlanta, Sebring International Raceway, Daytona International Speedway and more. The complete schedule and full event information can be found on HSR’s website at www.HSRRace.com. Look for the HSR Channel on YouTube and follow HSR on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/HSRrace/ and on Twitter and Instagram at @HSR_race. A dedicated website for the Classic 24 Hour at Daytona presented by IMSA is available at www.Classic24hour.com.

Today, On February 5th, 2024, Southern Paley Motorsports announced their new program and entry into the IMSA Mustang Challenge Series. Southern Paley Motorsports, also known as “SPM Motorsports”, will be operated by lifelong friends Sam Paley and John Paul Southern Jr. The pair have known each other for well over 10 years and together bring a combined 30 years of motorsports and racing experience to the team. The team will be situated in a brand new, state of the art facility at the Motor Enclave in Tampa, FL.

Southern Jr, the 2020 Trans-Am TA2 Southern Cup Champion, has spent the last 3 years racing in Europe in series such as ADAC GT4, DTM Trophy, and ADAC GT masters. Additionally, Southern was a Lamborghini GT3 test driver in 2023. On the other hand, Paley, the 2021 Mazda MX-5 Cup Rookie of the Year, has ample experience in the IMSA paddock through his tenure in the MX-5 Cup. Paley achieved 9 podiums and 4 poles across the last 3 years in the IMSA sanctioned series.

Apart from their driving accolades, the pair have backgrounds in managing and operating race team programs. Southern managed the 2022 T3 Motorsport Germany entry to P8 in GTD at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona and led the team to become the highest finishing Lamborghini. Paley is currently the Team Principal and a Managing Director for TKG Motorsports’ Spec MX-5 program.

“Having experience both as a driver and a team manager at the highest levels of sports car racing gives our brand an upper hand in the Mustang Challenge. Sam and I can use our expertise in both of these areas to create a reliable and competitive package for any customer,” says team co-owner Southern.

Currently, Southern Paley Motorsports plans to enter 1 car in the 2024 Mustang Challenge, but has plans to quickly expand. The Mustang Challenge season kicks off at Mid-Ohio in early June, but SPM will be undergoing an extensive pre-season testing program beforehand.

“This is something that JP and I have been talking about for a couple years, and I could not be more excited to see it coming into fruition. The Mustang Challenge will be one of the most exciting racing series in the United States, and it’s fantastic to see Ford’s commitment to building purpose built race cars. We are looking to grow our Mustang Challenge program in the years to come,” says other team co-owner Paley.

“I’m extremely excited to start this new endeavor and happy to be able to provide a great product to future customers. I’m a racer at heart, and I love the sport so much. I believe our hard work in the paddock will pay off. We have big plans for the future with SPM, and I believe we will achieve great things not only this year but in the years to come,” says Southern.

Furthermore, SPM announces the beginning of a strategic partnership with TKG Motorsports to complete a comprehensive and revolutionary ladder system. This ladder system begins at the grassroots go-karting level with Trinity Karting Group and the Motorsports Country Club of Cincinnati. Trinity Karting Group develops young and aspiring karting drivers both at the local and national karting scene. From there, TKG Motorsports offers an affordable next step for go-karters looking to advance their career with their Spec MX-5 program. Lastly, Southern Paley Motorsports fulfills the final step of the ladder through their entry into the Mustang Challenge. The conglomerated program’s main goal is to propel talented drivers through the ranks of motorsports and offer a unique karts to cars development program.

Commenting on the ladder system, Paley says that “the ability to link the two teams I’m involved in is great and providing the next step has been one of my main goals since I started with TKG Motorsports. Throughout my career, I have frequently asked, “What is the next step”, and I’ve always struggled to answer that question. My hope is that this umbrella helps young drivers find that answer.”

Southern Paley Motorsports is eager to be a part of the first ever season of the IMSA Mustang Challenge and is looking forward to the commencement of the series this June. In the meantime visit southernpaleymotorsports.com to learn more.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 30, 2024) – Recognized across the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship paddock for their unwavering consistency and exceptional operational standards, Wright Motorsports once again demonstrated near-perfection to inaugurate the 2024 racing season. Piloting the No. 120 Porsche 911 GT3 R, drivers Adam Adelson, Elliott Skeer, Jan Heylen, and Fred Makowiecki set a strong precedent for the year at the recently concluded Rolex 24 At Daytona.

The longest event in the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the Rolex 24 At Daytona stands as one of the most demanding races for drivers and participants. This year, the 59 teams were gifted with sunny skies and warm weather, which made for a smoother event for all. Though the weather may have been warm and calm, the early opening hours of the race were anything but. Navigating skillfully, Wright Motorsport avoided on-track incidents that triggered 15 full-course cautions. Starting from the 19th position in the 23-car field, the Ohio-based team swiftly gained five positions in the opening laps.

For Adelson and Skeer, this marked their debut at the Rolex 24 At Daytona and in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship. Despite their rookie status, the duo showcased remarkable skill, maintaining pace with their experienced counterparts and advancing through the field without any errors or significant contact. By nightfall, with under five hours completed, the quartet collaboratively propelled the Porsche into the top three. As darkness enveloped the track, the four drivers continued their rotation.

Throughout the nighttime hours, they preserved the car impeccably, steering clear of trouble. Despite the challenges posed by the series-mandated balance of performance (BoP), hindering the Porsche’s progress, the team’s adept pit stops proved instrumental in maintaining a competitive position after each visit to the pits. A swift brake change at the halfway mark underscored their prowess in the pit lane.

With the sunrise, the team found themselves in the eighth position, although the race had stretched out the GTD class, limiting opportunities for overtaking in the final hours. Ultimately, the No. 120 secured a commendable seventh-place finish, showcasing significant progress over the 24-hour marathon.

The team’s next challenge is set for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in Florida from March 13-16, marking the second race in their six-event schedule.

DRIVER QUOTES

Adam Adelson

I can’t believe I just completed my first Rolex 24 At Daytona. I’m extremely happy with the way I drove and have already identified where I need to improve and what to focus on for the remainder of the season. I can’t thank the entire Wright Motorsports team enough; they were flawless in their performance and gave us a real fighting chance. I’m super happy with my co-drivers’ performances as well, especially Elliott who was also a Daytona 24 rookie. It was overall an amazing experience, and it just makes me hungrier for a watch next year!

Elliott Skeer

My first Rolex24 ticked every non-result-based box that I could have imagined. To not only finish but for the team to have a near-perfect day of execution and to be top Porsche is a very good feeling. Adam and I came in rookies and I am extremely proud of both of our performances. This sets the correct tempo for the rest of the 2024 season and I cannot wait for Sebring!

Jan Heylen

I want to start by saying thank you to the whole team and to Adam for putting this program together. The team did an unbelievable job with perfect pitstops all race long, I don’t think that from a team’s point of view, we could’ve done much better than what we did. Also, Adam and Elliot did a fantastic job being at the Rolex for the first time. Of course, we are all disappointed with the result, but it was not for a lack of trying, or performance from the team or drivers. We executed what we have control over and I’m proud of what we did as a team.

Fred Makowiecki

On one hand, I’m super proud of the team. Everyone at Wright was very professional and very well prepared. For a driver, it’s a pleasure and a big chance to work with Wright for the Rolex 24 At Daytona. On the other hand, it was a hard race because we were missing pace, and not for anything that was in our control because the car was well prepared. It was tough against the competition, and we were missing some tenths at the end of the race to be able to fight for a podium, but definitely, each person on the team has to be proud of the performance.

Wright Motorsports
Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series and international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy, and driver development. Located in Batavia, Ohio, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief John Wright has played a key role in winning eight driver and seven team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Wright Motorsports won the team championship in Porsche GT3 Cup USA in 2012, 2013, and 2015, and went on to win the Pirelli World Challenge Overall, Sprint, Team, and Manufacturer’s titles in 2017. In 2020, the team captured the GT World Challenge America Am championship. In 2021, Wright Motorsports had a wildly successful season, capturing nine championships across their five racing efforts.

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing team Winward Racing secured its second Rolex 24 At Daytona GT Daytona (GTD) race win in the last four years while Korthoff Preston Motorsports moved its IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup (IMEC) title defense off to a fast start this weekend in the 62nd running of America’s premier 24-hour race at Daytona International Speedway. Russell Ward, Philip Ellis, Indy Dontje and Daniel Morad co-drove the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 to the team’s second Rolex 24 GTD win Saturday and Sunday at the “World Center of Racing” following 2021’s initial victory. Mike Skeen, Mikael Grenier, Kenton Koch and Maximilian Götz in turn finished fifth in GTD while securing enough segment points during the race to win the opening round of the 2024 IMEC in the GTD division.

Winward’s convincing victory was the second in a row and third in four years for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams in the Rolex 24. In addition to Winward’s pair of victories, WeatherTech Racing secured the GTD Pro win in last year’s Rolex 24.

Including Lone Star Racing, which finished eighth in its Rolex 24 debut, the three Mercedes-AMG GT3 entries competing in the GTD class combined to lead 424 of the race’s 731 laps over the 24 hours. The total was anchored by Winward’s GTD class-high 383 laps up front that saw each of the team’s four drivers lead the race at least once.

Morad was at the wheel for the finish and steadily opened a gap in the final 23 laps for a 2.731 seconds margin of victory. All four Winward drivers captured their second Rolex 24 victories, with Morad first earning the title in GTD in 2017 and Ward, Ellis and Dontje all part of Winward’s maiden Daytona victory in 2021.

Reigning IMEC GTD champions, the No. 32 Korthoff Preston Motorsports team and drivers battled in the lead pack for the majority of the race and led a total of 36 GTD laps. The team was ultimately just a tick off the front runners in the final fight to the finish, but they backed up their fifth-place result at the checkered flag by winning Daytona’s opening round of the IMEC in the GTD class.

The Daytona IMEC win was anchored by a first-place finish in the opening segment of the season at the race’s six-hour mark. The Korthoff Preston team and drivers and Mercedes-AMG head into round two of the five race IMEC championship in March at Sebring International Raceway leading the GTD standings.

Lone Star’s initial attempt at the Rolex 24 rarely looked like a first-time effort as team drivers Scott Andrews, Adam Christodoulou, Salih Yoluç and Rui Andrade joined Winward and Korthoff Preston in frequently contending for the lead. The No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 led five laps and finished eighth only because of some pit procedure penalties and an untimely late caution knocked them from a likely top-five result. Yoluç, Andrade and Andrews are set to co-drive the Lone Star No. 80 in the Sebring 12 Hour race in March.

Another race-leading performance was turned in by SunEnergy1 Racing that was the lone Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing team competing in the GTD Pro class. Kenny Habul, Maro Engel, Jules Gounon and Luca Stolz co-drove the No. 75 SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 and, after leading six laps, were just settling in to battle with the class leaders Saturday evening when the entry retired with a technical issue.

Winward’s top weekend also included a close second-place finish in Friday’s season-opening IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race. With Morad once again the closing driver, the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 was catching the race leader on the final lap but settled for the runner-up result 1.936 seconds behind the race winner. Morad co-drives with Russell Ward’s father Bryce Ward who ran in the top-10 throughout his race-opening stint in the eight-hour race.

The Daytona opener also saw the debut of Mercedes-AMG GT4 standouts Michai Stephens and Jesse Webb who scored a top-10 Pilot Challenge GS-class finish in the No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4.

Next up for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams in both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge is the 72nd running of the 12 Hours of Sebring, March 14 – 16 at Sebring International Raceway.

Russell Ward, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “This one is pretty special to me. The first victory wasn’t luck of course, everybody put their work in, but to come here and do it again is a great feeling. Our work really began at the mid-December test. We experienced the new Michelin tire, which is quite different from last year’s tire, and we just kind of set the car for the long run. That’s what we all like. You can put a fast lap together, but at the end of the day you just want a car that is good on the long run. The team did a great job on that, and that was big for our race this weekend. We have had a pretty consistent crew the last five years that has stayed with us and that really helps us be successful.”

Philip Ellis, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “We have done a flawless job. Our Mercedes-AMG GT3 was in top condition in the closing stages as well and that is the basic requirement to be able to push at the end. Generally, Winward Racing has done a great job. The strategy was always right and that is how we were able to work our way up step by step and remain in front. At the end, we had to give it our all once again, but fortunately, we had the better outcome. I am simply just grateful for being here.”

Daniel Morad, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 and Mercedes-AMG GT4: “It was just a perfect weekend, starting with the Michelin Pilot Challenge. We definitely had the performance against us, but we really over-achieved big time for the championship. Once that was all finished the focus went on to the big race with the Rolex 24. I just had a feeling we would be in the hunt. We worked so hard on the prep, Winward Racing gave us just an unbelievable car, and the Mercedes-AMG GT3 was just incredible with the tire degradation. That was a big key to the win: we had the rear tire, and the other guys did not.”

Indy Dontje, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “Obviously, it is a great feeling. A two-time winner of the Rolex 24 is a really amazing feeling, and I am happy to be able to do it together again with Winward Racing and all of our teammates from the first win. Daniel wasn’t there for the first one, but I am really happy he joined us for this race together. It was an exciting race at the end, and I really couldn’t watch!”

Maximilian Götz, Driver – No. 32 Korthoff Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “Fifth place is not what we had in mind. We had a very good pace at times but lost it again. Especially in comparison with Winward Racing, we have to sit down and analyze this. The heat in the last six or seven hours caused us problems. Unfortunately, we also had a drive-through penalty. The rear wheel spun in the air during a pit stop, which is not allowed. That threw us a bit out of rhythm. Congratulations to Winward Racing who did a great job. They were the benchmark. It’s nice to have a star at the top.”

Kenton Koch, Driver – No. 32 Korthoff Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It feels good to get the endurance cup off to a good start but this year we want to go for wins and this weekend we fell short. It was unfortunate, and it wasn’t for a lack of trying, that’s for sure. Everyone here did everything they could this weekend. We were fast for a lot of the race and in certain conditions we just were not. That’s just how it goes sometimes but I feel very fortunate to be here again for the endurance races this year.”

Mike Skeen, Driver – No. 32 Korthoff Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “The guys did an awesome job. We ran a really good race but unfortunately at the end we just didn’t have the pace the front-running cars had. We were in the mix all night, and kept the car up there without any mistakes, and not banging it up, but when the pace went up in the morning, we just didn’t have it. Frustrating in a lot of ways but very proud of the team and good points to start the season.”

Adam Christodoulou, Driver – No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “What a roller coaster of a race. I started the race and straight away the car felt really, really nice. We were really on the backfoot here, this was kind of a last-minute deal and we missed all of the testing the other teams were able to do, but I was still happy to get the call up just five days before the Roar test. We started almost last and moved up to second, but some penalties and safety cars kept us always fighting to get back into the top three. In the end we were sixth but got caught out when we just passed the pits as a safety car came out. That led to some other issues and our race was basically done. I think we would have had a podium for sure but staying out of trouble is so key for this race.”

Scott Andrews, Driver – No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It was a massive effort from everybody involved just to get here. We were the last car entered in this year’s Rolex 24. Less than two weeks ago the car we raced wasn’t even in IMSA specifications and we didn’t even have a full team assembled. I think if you had told us two weeks ago we would get a top-10, we would have taken it, but everybody saw how the race went. With our driver lineup and the pace of the Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, I think we deserved a podium for sure.”

Maro Engel, Driver – No. 75 SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “We had a good car and a great team. Many thanks to SunEnergy1 Racing! The team spirit was great, and the car handled really well at the beginning of the race. However, we had an issue with the fuel system that forced us to retire. Sadly, something like that happens at times, there isn’t much one can do about it. Too bad, but we will fight back and compete for victory again next year. The atmosphere at Daytona was really great thanks to the record crowd.”

Bryce Ward, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “We were hoping for a top-10 on Friday but honestly that was a win. To get a second-place finish is just incredible. The strategy just worked out so well, the pit stop crew worked so hard and were the reason we jumped two competitors, and what can you say about Daniel. He fought every single lap. So proud of everybody.”

Jesse Webb, Driver – No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4: “We are getting in the rhythm, knowing how the pit stops work, knowing how IMSA works, just learning how everything operates. It was good to have that long race to give us more time to build an understanding of this big step and we learned a lot. We are definitely looking forward to building on that and Michai and I are both extremely grateful to even be here. Everybody on this entire JMF team worked extremely hard to have us here at Daytona and to get a top-10 in our first outing in GS is a great step. We will keep moving forward.”

Michai Stephens, Driver – No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4: “We raised our flag high for the JMF Motorsports crew, and we did it with the support of Mercedes-AMG, rolling on Michelin tires, and we appreciate it all greatly. Long story short, we now know the height of the mountain, how far we need to climb, and I think as a unit we will be able to surpass that. This was our IMSA GS debut, and for the team in its entirety as well, so we are just going to continue to be one big family moving forward and the bond will grow stronger.”

Race, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Round 1, Daytona, Florida

• Daytona Beach, Florida, Jan. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —
• Nasr/Cameron/Campbell/Newgarden dominate the nail-biting finale
• Porsche clinches 19th outright win at the 24 Hours of Daytona
• Second works-963 of Porsche Penske Motorsport finishes fourth
• Strong result in the GTP category for the Porsche customer teams
• Four Porsche 963 among the top six in the overall classification
• AO Racing’s 911 GT3 R secures second in the GTD Pro class

The No. 7 Porsche 963 fielded by the Porsche Penske Motorsport factory team has won the 24 Hours of Daytona. The four driver lineup included two American factory drivers including Dane Cameron (Glen Ellen, California) and 2023 Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden (Nashville, Tennessee) as well as Felipe Nasr from Brazil and Matt Campbell of Australia. The second-year program extended Porsche’s record number of overall victories to 19. The No. 6 sister car finished in fourth place with “works” drivers Mathieu Jaminet (France), Nick Tandy (Great Britain), Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) and Kévin Estre (France). The Porsche 963 campaigned by the formidable customer teams Proton Competition and JDC-Miller MotorSports followed directly behind. In the GTD Pro class, AO Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 R secured second place.

In an action-packed 24-hour endurance race witnessed by a record crowd, the two Porsche Penske Motorsport’s Porsche 963 hybrid race cars traded places at the front of the field with the competition around the Daytona International Speedway and around the clock… twice. In a nail-biting race between the manufacturers in the top GTP class, the last of 15 caution laps pushed the suspense to the edge leading to a 32-minute duel to take top honors in the crown jewel auto race. The final battle to glory went down to the wire with the No. 7 Porsche shared by Dane Cameron (Glen Ellen, California), 2023 Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden (Nashville, Tennessee) Matt Campbell (Australia) and Felipe Nasr (Brazil) in the No. 7 Porsche earning the overall victory. While it was the first win of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, it was far from the first win for the German sports car manufacturer at the Daytona Beach, Florida-track. The victory was the 19th overall title for Porsche in the 24-hour classic.

The victory was far from certain right up until the checkered flag on Sunday afternoon. Nasr battled Briton Tom Blomquist at the wheel of a Cadillac prototype as the clock ticked towards 24-hours complete. In the last sprint, the Brazilian struggled with deteriorating tires but successfully fended off his rivals to earn his first overall victory at Daytona – his second total having captured the 2022 GTD Pro class win in a Porsche, a victory he shared with Campbell two years ago. This was an emotional first overall Daytona title for veteran Californian Cameron and for Newgarden who added the accolades to his popular first victory in the 2023 Indianapolis 500 driving for Team Penske, owned by Porsche Penske Motorsport team boss, Roger Penske.

Shortly after sunset on Saturday evening, the No. 6 car was in contention, taking the lead for the first time. However, several penalties forced the car shared by Mathieu Jaminet (France), Nick Tandy (United Kingdom), Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) and Kévin Estre (France) back down the field. They would finish just off the podium in fourth place.

“What a fantastic win to start the year,” offered a delighted Michael Steiner, Member of the Executive Board for Development at Porsche. “The entire Porsche Penske Motorsport works team and everyone at the development center in Weissach [Germany] have worked extremely hard to lay the foundations for this success. My sincere thanks to all of our employees. We never gave up and didn’t let the tough setbacks from last year rock us. Now, we’re reaping the rewards of our hard work. In the final phase, the duel on the track made the unrivalled passion obvious. Nobody gave up, nobody backed off until the checkered flag. I found that absolutely thrilling, as I’m sure it did many motorsport fans around the world.”

“It’s difficult to put the emotions into words. We won the 2024 Daytona – amazing,” said a delighted Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President of Porsche Motorsport. “I’ve never experienced such a heart-stopping battle. We won one of the really big races today. Our package worked. Four Porsche 963, two from Porsche Penske Motorsport and two from our strong customer teams, made it through without any major technical problems – that’s quite a feat in itself. This was only possible thanks to the incredible work of everyone involved. Thank you so much! Second place for the Porsche 911 GT3 R from AO Racing in the GTD Pro class is also absolutely fantastic. Daytona was definitely worth the trip for us.”

“An amazing day for the entire Porsche Penske Motorsport organization,” said Roger Penske, Founder and Chairman of the Penske Corporation. “Both of our Porsches had great speed but more importantly, the reliability and the execution by our team allowed us to secure the overall win for the first time since 1969. Congratulations to the entire Porsche and Penske organization on this monumental victory.”

Strong results from customer teams in the top GTP class and GTD-Pro class

Finishing fifth and sixth, the two Porsche 963 privateer entries fielded by the Proton Competition and JDC-Miller MotorSports rounded out the banner result in the top GTP class. At times, both race cars were even on course for the podium and threatened for overall victory. With a mixture of seasoned drivers and younger talent at the wheel of Nos. 5 and 85 put in commanding drives with blistering lap times and clean performances.

In the GTD Pro category, AO Racing secured the second podium step with the Porsche 911 GT3 R race car. At the wheel of the No. 77 “Rexy” race car, works driver Michael Christensen (Denmark), former Porsche Junior Laurin Heinrich (Germany) and Sebastian Priaulx (United Kingdom) drove a flawless race – as did the entire customer outfit from the USA.

“This year’s 24-hour race once again underlined that you have to fight to the end. AO Racing kept its cool during its debut race in the GTD Pro class and secured a terrific result with second place,” commented Sebastian Golz, Project Manager Porsche 911 GT3 R. “All of the cars reached the finish line. Wright Motorsports managed to finish seventh in this grueling race and highly competitive field. That was obviously the maximum.” The identical 911 campaigned by Andretti Motorsports, Kellymoss with Riley and MDK Motorsports finished the race in ninth, eleventh and twelfth place.

Porsche kicks off the new IMSA season at the top of the table

With this win in the prestigious classic in Florida, Porsche has taken the lead in the manufacturers’ championship. After the season opener, the victorious drivers of the No. 7 car are also at the top the drivers’ leaderboard. Round two of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is set to be another highlight race, the traditional Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring will take place on March 16 in Sebring, Florida. The endurance race also counts as the second round in the Michelin Endurance Cup.

Felipe Nasr, Driver, No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963.

“Wow! Right after crossing the finish line, I had to take a moment and let it all sink in. To have the decision in a 24-hour race come down to the very last few meters in a head-to-head duel – unbelievable. The Cadillac was very strong, especially in the final phase as temperatures rose. We gave everything tactically and driving-wise to take this victory. It worked. I’m super proud of everyone in the team.”

Matt Campbell, Driver, No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963.

“We won the 24-hour race at Daytona – that’s just phenomenal! I can’t thank my colleagues Josef, Felipe and Dane enough. The team as a whole was simply perfect. We had an absolutely crazy battle with the Cadillac. It was back and forth over the entire distance. It was intense, exciting and exhausting. Now, it’s time to celebrate our success.”

Dane Cameron, Driver, No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963.

“A fantastic day for us all. The Porsche 963 was extremely strong in today’s race and showed that we’ve made the necessary progress in terms of reliability over the winter. I’m proud of everyone who enabled us to achieve this. Our team simply worked flawlessly. This is the first victory for the 963 in one of the really big races, and my first overall victory in the 24 Hours of Daytona – it couldn’t be better.”

Josef Newgarden, Driver, No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963.

“I’m over the moon and extremely proud. We had an outstanding car. The combination of Porsche and Team Penske was the perfect package. A massive thanks to everyone who helped us on the way to this huge success. A 24-hour race like this requires months of intensive preparation. I think we deserved to win. It’s a perfect start to the year. I wish the team a super successful season.”

Alessio Picariello, Driver, No. 5 proton Competition Porsche 963.

“I’m completely exhausted, but also relieved and delighted. It’s been a very intense weekend, and I learned an incredible amount. On top of that, I still had a fever on Friday. It doesn’t matter, when I got in the car, the adrenaline took over. I didn’t make any mistakes, kept our number 5 on course and so I’m satisfied with my performance.”

Richard Westbrook, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963.

“There are plenty of positives. On the one hand, we’re all thrilled to have the first 24-hour race with the Porsche 963 behind us and to have scored lots of points in the process. The fact that we made it over the distance so well is also due to the great kit and the good support we received from Porsche. Unfortunately, a few minor things set us back a bit at the very end. Now, I’m looking forward to Sebring like a kid on the way to the candy shop.”

Michael Christensen, Driver, No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3.

“I’m very pleased. Despite having started the race from pole position, second place was the best result we could achieve in this competition. We knew after the first hour that we weren’t quite fast enough. We had to drive perfectly, deliver flawless pitstops and choose the best strategy. That’s exactly what we managed to do over the entire distance, and we all put in a first-class performance.”

Race result

GTP class:

1. Cameron/Nasr/Campbell/Newgarden (USA/BR/AUS/USA), Porsche 963 #7, 791 laps
2. Derani/Aitken/Blomqvist (BR/UK/UK), Cadillac #31, -2.112 s
3. Taylor/Deletraz/Herta/Button (USA/CH/USA/UK), Acura ARX-06 #40, -14.989 s
4. Tandy/Jaminet/Estre/Vanthoor (UK/F/F/B), Porsche 963 #6, -15.387 s
5. Bruni/Jani/Picariello/Dumas (I/CH/B/F), Porsche 963 #5, -44.479 s
6. Van der Helm/Westbrook/Hanson/Keating (NL/UK/UK/USA), Porsche 963 #85, – 2 laps

GTD-Pro class:

1. Serra/Rigon/Pier Guidi/Calado (BR/I/I/UK), Ferrari 293 GT3 #62, 733 laps
2. Heinrich/Priaulx/Christensen (D/UK/DK), Porsche 911 GT3 R #77, -34.999 s
3. Sellers/Snow/Verhagen/van der Linde (USA/USA/USA/RSA), BMW M4 GT3 #1, -2 laps

GTD class:

1. Ward/Ellis/Dontje/Morad (USA/UK/NL/CAN), Mercedes AMG GT3 #57, 731 laps
2. Adelson/Skeer/Heylen/Makowiecki (USA/USA/B/F), Porsche 911 GT3 R #120, -1 laps
3. Andretti/Chavez/Hargrove/Preining (USA/USA/CDN/A), Porsche 911 GT3 R #43, -3 laps
4. Brule/Udell/Hindman/Andlauer (USA/USA/USA/F), Porsche 911 GT3 R #92, -12 laps
5. Li/Fjordbach/Ten Voorde/Bachler (CHN/DK/NL/A), Porsche 911 GT3 R #86, -13 laps

Full results at https://imsa.alkamelsystems.com.

Toyota City, Japan, Jan 29, 2024 – (JCN Newswire) – TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team has started the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship season with a double podium finish at Rallye Monte-Carlo with Sébastien Ogier second and Elfyn Evans third.

Both Ogier and Evans were involved in an exciting fight for victory throughout the event, where drivers faced a challenging mix of conditions on the asphalt roads of the French Alps even if they were generally drier than usual.

Podium Ceremony
Ogier spectacularly claimed the lead during Saturday afternoon when he recorded the 700th stage win of his WRC career, and ultimately went into the final day on Sunday just 3.3 seconds away from first-placed Thierry Neuville (Hyundai).

Despite his best efforts in pursuit of a record-extending victory in Monte Carlo, Ogier and his co-driver Vincent Landais would eventually have to settle for second place, finishing 16.1s behind the winner.

Evans and his co-driver Scott Martin made an excellent start to their season when the rally got underway on Thursday night, claiming an early lead that they held until Saturday morning.

After banking good points under the championship’s new format by ending the penultimate day in third, Evans continued to push hard on Sunday when additional points were on offer for the fastest drivers. He took second in Sunday’s separate classification, plus fourth in the rally-ending Power Stage, to end the weekend with 21 points and third place in the standings. Ogier, who was second in the Power Stage and third-fastest across Sunday, is second on 24 points.

Takamoto Katsuta was among several drivers caught out on an icy corner on Friday morning, when he lost five minutes after sliding wide, but showed some strong pace as he and co-driver Aaron Johnston recovered to seventh place overall and also took third in the Power Stage.

With second and third in the overall results, in the Sunday classification and in the Power Stage, TGR-WRT leads the manufacturers’ championship by one point.

The GR Yaris Rally2 made its competitive WRC debut this weekend with three of the four entered cars completing the full rally distance in the hands of customer teams. Sami Pajari and Enni Mälkönen (Printsport) were the best-placed crew at the finish in 12th overall and fifth in class RC2.

Quotes:

Akio Toyoda (TGR-WRT Chairman)
“The start of our eighth WRC season was a new step for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT. Nine years ago, on 15 January 2015, I announced Toyota’s return to the WRC and explained the following: ‘Rally is the best place to strengthen people and cars because it is a sport in which you compete using cars based on production vehicles on the roads that our customers use in their daily life. We would like to come back to WRC to make ever-better cars and to make many people smile.’

After seven seasons, we were able to offer two more options for our customers in addition to the GR Yaris which we launched in 2020. The first are the two special editions supervised by the WRC champions: GR Yaris Sébastien Ogier Edition and GR Yaris Kalle Rovanperä Edition. They are not just commemorative models. Both world champions were involved in the development and achieved the taste they wanted. You can enjoy doing donuts with Kalle’s edition which I’m also looking forward to trying. Seb’s edition has ‘Morizo mode’. The “seasoning” Seb reached during the development was the same as what I liked. It should have been named ‘Seb Mode’ but thanks to Seb’s favour, my name was used. Thank you, Seb!

And the second is GR Yaris Rally2. Rallye Monte-Carlo was the very first competition for our Rally2 and we had four teams of customers on board. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all the teams who took on new challenges with the cars with unknown capabilities.

The first GR Yaris Rally2 in Japan is scheduled to be delivered to Morizo, ‘an ordinary man who loves cars’. When it’s delivered, I will try it right away and see if there’s anything we can improve. Then, the car will be rented out to a customer in Japan to participate in the Japanese Rally Championship (JRC).

In order to have the Rally2 cars ready for Monte Carlo and the first round of JRC, the team members in Finland have been working very hard. I am relieved that all four cars completed the rally in their debut round. This is just the start. We have to keep trying to improve the car itself and the support system to become the product to be chosen by customers. I‘m sure the team will continue their efforts.

For TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, WRC is not just a competition to win. We compete in WRC to make ever-better cars and make more people smile. The joys and disappointments we have experienced over the 85 events so far have led even closer to the cars for our customers. This is a very big step. We were not able to celebrate the victory this time, but the driving of three Rally1s and four Rally2s will certainly lead into future events. I trust Jari-Matti will lead the team like past years to continue to work hard and to make the 2024 season a great year.”

Jari-Matti Latvala (Team Principal)
“Overall it has been a good weekend for us to start the season. Of course, we were in the lead of the rally earlier in the weekend and things were looking really good. Things then changed a bit and we hoped that we could bounce back today on the final day and take the victory. I think Seb did what he could but it seems that Neuville had one of those days where as a driver you can push yourself to an extra level. But it was a great fight that was exciting for everybody to follow, and in the end we got strong points as a team for the manufacturers’ championship. Elfyn also showed some great pace and confidence this weekend and I think he was clever too in the end to make sure he took away some good points.”

Elfyn Evans (Driver car 33)
“We showed that the potential was there to win this weekend but we just missed the feeling on Saturday afternoon for some reason. Today was much better. There was a real mix of conditions again but we had to keep pushing to score some more points under the new system and it turned out OK. It’s been a solid enough weekend. We always want to win, but above all I really wanted to finish this rally with solid points and we’ve done that. Long term we want to win rallies and we will see what’s possible on the next rally in Sweden.”

Sébastien Ogier (Driver car 17)
“I think I can be proud of my weekend, I tried everything I could. It’s been a difficult week for me with a big rollercoaster of emotions. On Monday I had to say goodbye to someone very important to me who basically introduced me to motorsport. The start of the event was not easy for many reasons, so I’m happy that we managed to stay in the fight the whole way, and I think it was a super exciting fight for all of the fans to follow. In the end, Thierry was faster this weekend and he deserved the win. I still managed to bring strong points to the team. It’s also my 15th Rallye Monte-Carlo and 13th time on the podium, so I can be proud of my record on such a challenging rally.”

Takamoto Katsuta (Driver car 18)
“My rally changed after my mistake on Friday morning when we lost the opportunity to fight for a good result, which was a big disappointment. I’m happy that I could bring the car to the finish in seventh and also score some extra points on Sunday and in the Power Stage. The car was working very well and I enjoyed the driving. When I felt comfortable and the risks were not so high from the conditions, I felt able to push and the times were pretty good, so that’s positive. The next rally in Sweden is one of my favourite rallies so I will try my best to get a good result there.”

PROVISIONAL FINAL CLASSIFICATION, RALLYE MONTE-CARLO
1 Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1 HYBRID) 3h9m30.9s
2 Sébastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID) +16.1s
3 Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID) +45.2s
4 Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja (Hyundai i20 N Rally1 HYBRID) +1m59.8s
5 Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (Ford Puma Rally1 HYBRID) +3m36.9s
6 Andreas Mikkelsen/Torstein Eriksen (Hyundai i20 N Rally1 HYBRID) +5m34.6s
7 Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (Toyota GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID) +8m28.5s
8 Yohan Rossel/Arnaud Dunand (Citroën C3 Rally2) +10m29.8s
9 Pepe López/David Vázquez (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) +10m33.8s
10 Nikolay Gryazin/Konstantin Aleksandrov (Citroën C3 Rally2) +10m45.2s(Results as of 13:30 on Sunday, for the latest results please visit www.wrc.com)

2024 FIA World Rally Championship for drivers after round 1:
1 Thierry Neuville 30 points
2 Sébastien Ogier 24
3 Elfyn Evans 21
4 Ott Tänak 15
5 Adrien Fourmaux 11
6 Takamoto Katsuta 9
7 Andreas Mikkelsen 6

2024 FIA World Rally Championship for manufacturers after round 1:
1 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team 46 points
2 Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team 45
3 M-Sport Ford World Rally Team 19

What’s next?

Rally Sweden (February 15-18) is the only full winter event of the season taking place on snow and ice. Metal studs inserted into the tyres bite into the surface to provide grip and allow for some of the highest speeds of the year.

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