Porsche Penske Motorsport did indeed win the 12 Hours of Sebring, securing a one-two finish with the No. 7 car of Felipe Nasr, Julien Andlauer, and Laurin Heinrich taking the victory ahead of the No. 6 car of Kévin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor, and Matt Campbell. However, the atmosphere wasn't particularly cheerful at the German manufacturer's headquarters after the race, especially among the runners-up.
"It's a superb day for Porsche, for Penske with a one-two finish. Julien and Laurin had a very good race. The three of us also did our best. It was very close. As for the rest, perhaps Felipe will be honest enough to tell you more." "That's what Belgian Laurens Vanthoor said in the preamble. His teammate Kévin Estre detailed the thinking of the crew of car number 6.
“There wasn’t much rest. We were on similar strategies. We were pitting at roughly the same time, sometimes with different tires. We were constantly neck and neck, but at one point, there was an order from the pits that wasn’t followed.” explained the man from Lyon.
Felipe Nasr: "There will always be different versions"
“I was driving in accordance with the requirements, optimizing the strategy and saving fuel,” Estre added. We were all supposed to do the same thing, but Felipe did it differently. That's how the overtake happened. Then, towards the end of the race, he clearly had the pace in the open air. I couldn't really attack. I tried, but there was no opportunity. So, about an hour before the end, something happened that wasn't quite right from my point of view. That's why we're frustrated. The Frenchman is referring here to the overtake for victory made by the Brazilian one hour and five minutes from the checkered flag.
These remarks were made in the presence of Felipe Nasr. The former Sauber driver... Formula 1, now a four-time winner of the event (2019, 2020, 2025 and 2026), responded to the Frenchman's accusations. “Sebring is always an intense race, and that was the case today from start to finish,” thus unleashed the Auriverde. There will always be different versions: mine, the team's, the other drivers'. I'm here to win. That's why I signed this program. I believe I can win for the team. My teammates were perfect today. We built the race to be at the front the whole time. They deserve all the credit. For me, it's another dream start to the season. Winning here at Sebring is fantastic. I love winning for Roger, for Penske, and for our sponsors. Nasr declined to elaborate on these possible instructions.
"We're not going to replay the race," Estre replied again. There were team orders from the pits. We thought both cars had the same ones. Felipe did something different, which allowed him to win. That's it. I followed the team orders to save fuel. In the end, it didn't go as planned. Porsche could probably have done without this tension between its crews after securing a dominant one-two finish at Sebring…
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Embersbrain
24/03/2026 at 03:23 a.m.
As a die-hard Porsche fan (of all cars), I have to say I didn't understand what was happening between #7 and #6, not just at the end of the race, but because the rather heated exchanges had been happening well before. For such an event, the strategy regarding the competitors, and also between the two crews, is supposed to have been carefully planned. Remember, who took the lead so quickly and held it for a while? It was Estre, after all. He wasn't the only one to lament this unexpected tug-of-war, which at times almost turned into a disaster. Team orders must be followed, period. What puzzles me is that the team let it happen; I wonder what to make of that...
Checkered flag
22/03/2026 at 04:20 a.m.
Psychodrama at Porsche! When they win, they're detestable. It's the beginning of the season, and they're already supposed to be following orders? Nasr was right to expose all those backroom deals made in Germany. Luckily, we escaped a victory for Kevin the mega-watermelon.
Ben
22/03/2026 at 12:05 a.m.
Wow, what a sweeping generalization! If you want to find true gentlemen, you have to go back to the likes of Stewart, Clark Collins, Fangio... And as Hilton Leln says, we're talking about endurance, where the brand takes precedence over ego...
DANIEL MEYERS
22/03/2026 at 11:43 a.m.
I've never doubted the fantastic team spirit of most of the new generation of South American drivers! There was an agreement, it's not being respected, and we're supposed to applaud? Just because some clown of an American president does this 24/24 doesn't mean we should consider it normal.
Hilton Leon
22/03/2026 at 09:58 a.m.
This is endurance racing, not Formula 1. For the brand, what matters is "Porsche victory" in the media, not the name of the winning driver. I agree with Ben.
Ben
22/03/2026 at 08:43 a.m.
Ester is a superb driver and an equally exceptional complainer. Porsche, his employer, achieved a one-two finish, so he can simply rejoice and keep his petty grudges to himself.
dedeHJ37
22/03/2026 at 08:14 a.m.
The "Care Bear France" mentality is in the air these days in all areas.