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Tandy Adds Another Milestone with IMSA Sebring Win for Porsche, Penske

#7: Porsche Penske Motorsports, Porsche 963, GTP: Felipe Nasr, Nick Tandy, Laurens Vanthoor

Race Results

Nick Tandy is on an unstoppable roll. After a stellar start to 2025, he added another historic achievement to his name by co-driving the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 to victory at the 73rd Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. With that win, Tandy cemented himself as one of only 10 drivers in history to achieve the rare feat of winning the sport’s “Triple Crown” — the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and now, Sebring. This is a monumental achievement for the 40-year-old Englishman, who’s done it all with Porsche.

GTP Class: Porsche Penske Motorsport Dominates Sebring

The 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is proving to be a banner year for Porsche Penske Motorsport. The team’s dominance in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class is clear, and Tandy’s latest victory at Sebring only adds to the team’s growing list of triumphs. Co-driving with Felipe Nasr and Laurens Vanthoor, Tandy helped steer the No. 7 Porsche to a narrow but crucial 2.2-second victory over their sister car, the No. 6 Porsche driven by Mathieu Jaminet, Matt Campbell, and Kevin Estre. The result marked Porsche Penske Motorsport’s 22nd 1-2 finish in IMSA competition, the first of which came back in 2014, and their first 1-2 finish since Road America in August 2024.

Not only did Tandy’s win make history, but it also propelled the No. 7 Porsche to a commanding 91-point lead in the GTP standings, as they are now the early leaders in the 2025 season. With Nasr and Dane Cameron, the reigning GTP champions, part of the lineup, Porsche looks poised to continue its success throughout the season.

Tandy reflected on the momentous victory, acknowledging the work of both Porsche and Penske. “You rarely see a sports team or operation that does a single event without any faults or mistakes, and we’ve just celebrated with 40 people who have flawlessly run a car for 36 hours at Daytona and Sebring combined,” he said. “It’s just incredible that we’ve had this run the last two events.”

And about the historic achievement of the “Triple Crown,” Tandy added, “The names on that list are unbelievable. To be linked with them is something I’m incredibly proud of.”

Sebring wasn’t without its challenges, though. Nasr had qualified the No. 7 Porsche in third, but it was a penalty to the pole-sitting BMW Team RLL No. 24 BMW M Hybrid V8 that allowed Nasr to lead the opening hour. As the race progressed, the No. 7 Porsche faced stiff competition, most notably from the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Racing Cadillac V-Series.R, which had been strong throughout the day. However, as night fell and temperatures dropped, Tandy made a bold move, passing Frederik Vesti for the lead and never looking back. The Cadillac faded as the night wore on, and Tandy’s relentless pursuit paid off as they crossed the finish line in first.

#43: Inter Europol Competition, ORECA LMP2 07, LMP2: Tom Dillmann, Bijoy Garg, Jeremy Clarke

LMP2 Class: Dillmann’s Late Charge Delivers Sebring Victory

While the focus of Sebring may have been on the GTP class, the LMP2 category had its fair share of drama. Tom Dillmann and his Inter Europol Competition team delivered a masterclass in strategy and endurance, taking the lead in the final hour and ultimately securing the win in the LMP2 class. The No. 43 ORECA LMP2 07, shared by Dillmann, Nick Boulle, and Jeremy Clarke, crossed the finish line just 1.1 seconds ahead of Sebastien Bourdais and his Tower Motorsport team in the No. 8 ORECA.

Dillmann, the defending LMP2 champion, was pleased with the result, saying, “It feels super to win the 12 Hours of Sebring, such a legendary race. You have the chance to race in some amazing events like Daytona, Sebring, and Petit Le Mans, and to win one of them is incredible.”

It was a race of strategy for the Inter Europol crew, as the team’s plan was to save their best performance for the cooler, night-time conditions, where the car would be at its fastest. Dillmann led 12 laps throughout the race, but crucially, the last eight laps came when it mattered most, allowing him to fend off Bourdais’ challenge. Dillmann’s win marked another significant achievement in what has been a promising season for the team.

#77: AO Racing, Porsche 911 GT3 R (992), GTD PRO: Laurin Heinrich, Klaus Bachler, Alessio Picariello

GTD PRO: Porsche’s “Rexy” Claims Historic Victory

In the GTD PRO class, Porsche added another impressive win to its résumé, as the No. 77 Porsche 911 GT3 R, known affectionately as “Rexy,” took the victory after a nail-biting race. The team, which fielded the car in collaboration with AO Racing, secured its first traditional IMSA endurance race win after a dramatic late-race battle. Klaus Bachler, Laurin Heinrich, and Alessio Picariello shared driving duties, and Heinrich, in particular, played a crucial role in the closing stages of the race.

Heinrich was elated after the win, saying, “Unbelievable result, I’m so proud of the team. We finally won something big together, and it’s the Twelve Hours of Sebring in GTD PRO!” It was Heinrich’s fourth win in the series, while Bachler celebrated his second IMSA victory, and Picariello claimed his first-ever win in the series.

In a race filled with excitement and tension, the Porsche team ultimately triumphed over a field of talented competitors, including the No. 48 Paul Miller BMW and the No. 1 BMW, both of which finished in second and third, respectively.

#57: Winward Racing, Mercedes AMG GT GT4, GS: Bryce Ward, Daniel Morad-

GTD: Ellis’ Dramatic Win Caps off Sebring for Mercedes-AMG

The GTD class saw one of the most dramatic finishes of the day, as Phillip Ellis and the Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 took the victory in the closing laps. After a fierce battle with Jack Hawksworth and the Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3, Ellis executed a NASCAR-style “bump-and-run” on the leader, forcing the Lexus out of the way and into second place. The maneuver happened with less than 15 minutes remaining, leaving Hawksworth little time to retaliate.

Ellis wasn’t shy about his move, admitting, “I wouldn’t be happy if I lost first place either, but that’s racing. I gave him back what he gave me a couple laps before in Turn 7. That’s how it goes.” The win marked Ellis’ ninth IMSA victory, with his teammate, Indy Dontje, contributing to the success for the Mercedes-AMG team.

Meanwhile, Hawksworth, despite the disappointment of losing the lead, expressed his respect for Ellis’ driving, calling the final laps a thrilling showcase of what IMSA racing is all about. The third spot on the podium was claimed by the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo, rounding out the top three in the highly competitive GTD class.

Looking Ahead: The 2025 IMSA Season Continues

After an intense and action-packed start to the season with back-to-back endurance classics at Daytona and Sebring, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship moves on to its next race, the 50th anniversary Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 11-12. The event will mark the first sprint race of the 2025 season for the GTP competitors. For the LMP2 field, however, the next challenge comes at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen in June, where the battle for supremacy in this highly competitive category will continue.

As the season unfolds, one thing is clear: Porsche and Penske are firing on all cylinders, and Tandy, Nasr, and their teammates are ready to take on all comers in their pursuit of more victories and championships.

 

Greg Engle
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