• Nasr/Tandy/Vanthoor triumph with the Porsche 963 at the endurance classic
•Sister car of Campbell/Jaminet/Estre finishes third
•Porsche leads the 24-Hour race for 517 of 781 Laps
•Wright Motorsport achieves GTD podium finish with Porsche 911 GT3 R
•Iron Dames secure eighth place in first IMSA outing with Porsche
Porsche Penske Motorsport has clinched its second consecutive victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona. Last year's winner Felipe Nasr from Brazil, Nick Tandy from the United Kingdom, and Laurens Vanthoor from Belgium steered the No. 7 Porsche 963 to the top step of the podium. This milestone marks Porsche's 20th overall win at the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship opener, further cementing its illustrious legacy. The No. 6 Porsche 963, piloted by Matt Campbell (Australia) and French-born teammates Mathieu Jaminet and Kévin Estre, rounded out the team's success with a third-place finish. Once again, the Porsche 963 demonstrated its dominance as the most successful LMDh prototype since its racing debut.
Daytona Beach, Florida. At 1:40 p.m. on Saturday, January 25, 61 cars across four competition classes took the green flag at the Daytona International Speedway to begin the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. Under sunny Florida skies, the GTP class prototypes engaged in fierce battles from the start. Among them: the 707 PS (520 kW) Porsche 963, which claimed victory at Daytona in 2024 and dominated last season's championship standings.
The works drivers and the whole Porsche Penske Motorsport team delivered a flawless performance over the 3.56-mile Daytona road course. By late evening, both Porsche 963 entries had established themselves at the front of the field. They maintained their commanding positions through to the final hours of the race, with a decisive sprint to victory occurring in the last 40 minutes after the final yellow flag period.
Ultimately, Felipe Nasr in the No. 7 car emerged victorious after an intense battle between both Porsche 963s for the lead, showcasing precision and endurance. With traffic complications in the closing stages, the No. 6 sister car relinquished second place but secured a commendable third. For Nasr, this victory marked his second consecutive Daytona triumph. Vanthoor and Tandy celebrated their first overall wins at this prestigious event. Tandy also became the first driver in history to win all four major 24-hour endurance races: Le Mans, Spa-Francorchamps, Nürburgring and Daytona.
'My emotions are difficult to put into words,' said Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. 'Winning the 24 Hours of Daytona twice in a row – one of the longest and toughest races in the IMSA series – is a monumental achievement. The tension was huge. We did not always have the fastest car, but we were consistent and made the fewest mistakes. This is a fantastic result for our drivers, mechanics, engineers, and the entire team, including our colleagues back home in Weissach. I am absolutely delighted. This victory is a perfect start to the new season!'
Roger Penske, founder and CEO of Penske Corporation, echoed this sentiment: 'What an incredible day for the entire Porsche Penske Motorsport organization. Both of our Porsche 963s and the drivers showed great speed and reliability. The crews performed flawlessly which is a result of meticulous preparation by everyone on the team. 2024 was an unmatched season of success starting with a win at the 24 Hours of Daytona and it's great to repeat that success to start 2025 with the third overall win for Team Penske and the 20th victory for Porsche.'
Urs Kuratle, Director of Factory Motorsport LMDh, added: 'An ideal season opener. This year's result, with first and third place, surpasses last year's success. The factory cars performed impeccably over the long distance, with perfect strategy and pit stops – a phenomenal effort by the entire team. I could not be prouder!'
'It's impossible to put this success into words. The crews of the No. 6 and No. 7 did an outstanding job,' summarised Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director of Porsche Pense Motorsport. 'This triumph is not down to the fact that our car was the strongest – it was down to the impeccable work of the drivers and the team. We led the race for very long stretches and were rewarded. Now I hope that things continue like that and that we finish this year just as successfully as last year.'
With this win, Porsche has taken the lead in the championship standings of the top GTP class. The 24-hour race at Daytona also marks the start of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup where the lead in the manufacturers', team and drivers' championships also goes to Porsche. The special classification within the IMSA season also includes the 12 Hours of Sebring, the two 6-hour races at Watkins Glen and Indianapolis as well as the 'Petit Le Mans' at Road Atlanta.
The customer teams experienced mixed fortunes with the Porsche 963. JDC-Miller MotorSports managed to secure a solid sixth-place overall finish, while Proton Competition was forced to retire early due to suspension damage during the night,. The striking yellow No. 85 JDC-Miller car, driven by Gianmaria Bruni (Italy), Tijmen van der Helm (Netherlands), Bryce Aron (USA), and Porsche works driver and Formula E World Champion Pascal Wehrlein (Germany), showcased strong resilience. Meanwhile, Wehrlein's TAG Heuer Formula E teammate, António Félix da Costa, endured a tough race and failed to finish with the LMP2 team Inter Europol.
GT categories: Porsche 911 GT3 R of Wright Motorsport on the podium
In the GTD class, Wright Motorsports continued their historically strong form. Starting from pole position, the American team secured second place after 24 hours of racing. Former Porsche Junior driver Ayhancan Güven (Turkey), alongside the American duo of Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer and Tom Sargent (Australia), celebrated a well-deserved podium finish. The Iron Dames made their IMSA debut in the Porsche 911 GT3 R, finishing eighth in class.
The 'Rexy' Porsche 911 GT3 R from AO Racing faced misfortune in the GTD-Pro category. Defending champion Laurin Heinrich (Germany), Klaus Bachler (Austria), and Alessio Picariello (Belgium) led at times but dropped to eighth after sustaining damage from a collision. Proton Competition's identical, up to 478 kW (565 PS) race car finished the endurance race in tenth place.
Drivers' comments after the race
Felipe Nasr (Porsche 963 No. 7): 'This victory feels even better than 2024 - winning here twice in a row is a very special point in my career. Thanks to everyone in the team.The work they did was simply fantastic. I don't know how to put my emotions into words. There's a feeling of happiness inside me that I can't describe right now. Simply unbelievable!'
Nick Tandy (Porsche 963 No. 7): 'I am so proud to have won this race with Porsche. Eleven years ago was the last time I was on the top step of the Daytona podium – back then in the GT class with a red and white Porsche and this time again with a red and white Porsche. Three years of hard work have brought us here. We all did it together. At some point years ago, someone told me that nobody had ever managed to achieve overall victory in the four biggest 24-hour races. Since that day, this goal has been in the back of my mind. Now it has been realised. It feels great to be the first person to achieve something like this.'
Laurens Vanthoor (Porsche 963 No. 7): 'It was always my dream to contest races like the 24 Hours of Daytona in the highest category. There's nothing better than realising this with Porsche. I've always dreamed of being able to sit in this silver Penske trailer at the big events. It's all like a dream. Three months ago I won the FIA World Endurance Championship, now the victory in Daytona. It doesn't get much better than this!'
Kévin Estre (Porsche 963 No. 6): 'The victory is great for Porsche and the team. We in the number 6 car often led the race. It was very hard work. When you lead for a long time and finish third, it's difficult to describe. The others had fresher tyres and a bit more luck in lapped traffic. We'll try again next year.'
Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche 963 No. 85): 'Thank you very much for this opportunity – it was a lot of fun. I learned a lot on every lap in the Porsche 963 and was able to keep improving my pace. The car held up well, so I got a lot of driving time. Unfortunately, we had some difficulties throughout the race, especially with a lack of temperature in the brakes. Nevertheless, sixth place is a good result. More was not within reach. Congratulations to Porsche and my fellow drivers. Now I'm looking forward to a few hours' sleep.'
Klaus Bachler (Porsche 911 GT3 R No. 77): 'We gave it our all and came so close. Laurin Heinrich pushed to the limit and fought brilliantly at the end. Unfortunately, there was contact in turn three, which damaged our front end and forced us to pit. Without that incident, the class win would have been within reach.'
Rahel Frey (Porsche 911 GT3 R No. 83): 'We fought to the maximum throughout the entire race. That is why we are here. We are 'Women Driven By Dreams,' and we have big ambitions. Our goal is to reach the top. Unfortunately, a tire issue cost us a lap during the night. But we never gave up and fought back. We will keep pushing until we win.'
Adam Adelson (Porsche 911 GT3 R No. 120): 'The result is fantastic, but it is not perfect. When second place leaves you unsatisfied, it is clear that the team, car, and the drivers are all capable of achieving victories. Our expectations are high, and winning is our goal – we'll celebrate wins in upcoming races, I am certain of it.'
Race results
GTP Class:
1. Nasr/Tandy/Vanthoor (BRA/GBR/BEL), Porsche 963 No. 7, 781 laps
2. Blomqvist/Braun/Dixon/Rosenqvist (GBR/USA/NZL/SWE), Acura No. 60, -1.335 seconds
3. Jaminet/Campbell/Estre (FRA/AUS/FRA), Porsche 963 No. 6, -4.423 seconds
6. Van der Helm/Bruni/Wehrlein/Aron (NLD/ITA/DEU/USA), Porsche 963 No. 85, -1 lap
10. Andlauer/Jani/Vautier/Pino (FRA/SUI/FRA/CHL), Porsche 963 No. 5, DNF
GTD-Pro Class:
1. Mies/Vervisch/Olsen (DEU/BEL/NOR), Ford No. 65, 723 laps
2. Garcia/Sims/Juncadella (ESP/GBR/ESP), Corvette No. 3, -1.909 seconds
3. Rockenfeller/Priaulx/Cindric (DEU/GBR/USA), Ford No. 64, -5.766 seconds
8. Heinrich/Bachler/Picariello (DEU/AUT/BEL), Porsche 911 GT3 R No. 77, -1 lap
10. Schiavoni/Cressoni/Preining/Lietz (ITA/ITA/AUT/AUT), Porsche 911 GT3 R No. 20, -4 laps
GTD Class:
1. Fidani/Bell/Kern/Kirchhöfer (CAN/GBR/DEU/DEU), Corvette No. 13, 719 laps
2. Adelson/Skeer/Sargent/Güven (USA/USA/AUS/TUR), Porsche 911 GT3 R No. 120, - 1.454 seconds
3. Gamble/Stevenson/Robichon/Drudi (GBR/GBR/CAN/ITA), Aston Martin No. 27, - 4.817 seconds
8. Bovy/Frey/Gatting/Gaillard (BEL/SUI/DNK/SUI), Porsche 911 GT3 R No. 83, - 10.547 seconds
Photo credit: Porsche posted on conceptcarz.com
