Sebring 12 Hours: hours 1 - 4
Start and first hour
📷 Courtesy of IMSA. Both Cadillacs leading the GTP pack.
Polesitter Derani held his lead during the first stint, followed closely by the Sebastien Bourdais in the #01 Cadillac Racing V-Series.R.
📷 Courtesy of IMSA. The pack of GTPs after Turn 1.
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Sebring 2024. #7 Porsche 963 ahead of #40 Acura ARX-06
Felipe Nasr in the #7 Porsche Penske Motorsports 963 moved up to third taking the inside from Deletraz with #40 Acura in Turn 3.
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Sebring 2024. #6 Porsche 963 ahead of #40 Acura ARX-06
A couple of laps later, Jaminet with Porsche #6 was taking over Deletraz in Acura ARX-06.
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Sebring 2024. Both BMW M Hybrid V8 were following.
The first Safety Car went ou just ahead of GTPs first pit stop
📷 Courtesy of IMSA. First pit stop for GTPs
Derani (#31 Cadillac) is the first to leave pits ahead of Deletraz (#40 Acura) who benefit from a faster pit stop than Bourdais in #01 Cadillac.
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Sebring 2024. Restart after 1st Safety Car
At the restart, Bourdais takes over Deletraz to get back in P2, Eng with BMW #24 follow in P4, Taylor with #10 Acura in P5 ahead of Jaminet in Porsche #6 and De Philippi in BMW #25 in P7. That was the ranking at the end of the first hour except for Andlauer with Porsche #5 who took over De Philippi ahead of the hour.
Second hour
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Sebring 2024. #10 Acura ARX-06
After the third Full Course Yellow, Brendon Hartley with Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 got progressively his way to P3, following the two Cadillacs with Scott Dixon leading aboard the #01 over the #31 driven by Jack Aitken. Eng with BMW #24 was 4th ahead of Deletraz in #40 Acura ARX-06 fifth and De Philippi in BMW M Hybrid #25 sixth.
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Sebring 2024.
Richard Westbrook in P7 with Porsche 963 #85, leads the four Porsche 963 struggling for grip in the daytime.
Hour 3
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Sebring 2024. #7 Porsche 963
At the end of the third hour, Porsche #7 leads ahead of both Cadillacs with #31 back ahead siste #01. BMW M Hybrid V8 #25 is fourth ahead of JDC-Miller Motorsports Porsche 963 #85.
Hour 4
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Sebring 2024. #01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac
The ranking at the fourth hour is used to award the first Michelin Endurance Cup points of the race. Chip Ganassi Racing #01 was awarded the 5 points being the first GTP at that point.
JDC-Miller Motorsports’ Richard Westbrook ran second in the #85 Porsche 963 with Louis Deletraz in the #40 Acura ARX-06 in third.
Jack Aitken in the #31 Whelen Cadillac Racing Cadillac was fourth after taking multiple trips down pit lane. Aitken entered the pit lane as the field fell under caution which forced him to return to pit lane for emergency service one lap later as pit lane was closed when he entered first time.
#7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 of Dane Cameron was fifth.
Related Info
📷 luc Warnotte at Sebring 2023. Phil Hanson tops Thursday combined practices
📷 © Courtesy of Ford. #77 Ford Mustang GT3 ambitions in WEC LMGT3.
📷 Courtesy of Ford. Ben Barker with FORD for the first year.
📷 Courtesy of IMSA. The Ford Mustang GT3 story
