Mikkel Jensen, an already winning partnership with United Autosports

On Saturday, March 21, Mikkel Jensen added another prestigious achievement to his record by winning the 12 Hours of Sebring with the #2 United Autosports Oreca 07, alongside Phil Fayer and Hunter McElrea. A victory that was anything but easy.

Penalized twice early in the race, for an unauthorized refueling and speeding in the pit lane, the car had to fight its way back through the entire field. In an ultra-competitive LMP2 category where all teams use the same chassis, the task was far from easy.

Jensen and McElrea executed their stints perfectly to put the car back in contention, also benefiting from a scenario unfavorable to AO Racing, who had led for much of the race. The result: a controlled victory… and a historic one-two finish for United Autosports. IMSA since the No. 22 of Paul di Resta, Daniel Goldburg and Rasmus Lindh took sixth place, ahead of the No. 8 of Tower Motorsports of the trio Tristan Vautier, John Farano and Sebastian Alvarez.

ALSO READ > Tristan Vautier: "Starting with a top 5 finish would be a good foundation."

Third victory at Sebring for Jensen

This success is no accident. Jensen has a special relationship with the Florida track. Already a winner in 2021 and 2022 in LMP2, he secured his third victory in the American classic, and more importantly, his seventh consecutive podium finish on this circuit in the category. Exceptional consistency, all the more impressive on a track renowned for its difficulty.

« We come back every year wanting to do it again, the Dane confided after the race. It's an incredible race, so much is happening on the track. It's mind-blowing to see how the GT cars try to use us to play their own strategy against their rivals. That's probably the hardest thing here.

Then, the track changes every year: there are more and more bumps, some sections are repaired, others aren't. You always discover new traps as soon as you stray from the racing line to overtake a GT. And at night, towards the end, you have to manage the traffic and find your opponents; it's a real challenge.

Winning Sebring is incredible. We'd already done it with Hunter in recent years, and now with Phil, it's special. It's a great victory after a difficult Daytona. »

Next event: the 24 Hours of Le Mans

This victory also marks the continuation of a strong partnership with Hunter McElrea. Having already teamed up for the past two seasons at TDS Racing, the two drivers have maintained their understanding despite joining United under different circumstances. Jensen, in fact, made no secret of having influenced this choice: he specifically requested McElrea as a Silver-rated teammate, convinced of his ability and their complementary skills.

The result was immediate: a victory in only the second major race of the season after Daytona. Beyond Sebring, Jensen was on an impressive run in North American endurance racing. Even before joining United Autosports, he had two IMSA wins to his name, at Indianapolis and Petit Le Mans.

His integration into Zak Brown and Richard Dean's team marks a new milestone. The Dane, a former driver Peugeot , is now one of the pillars of the future Hypercar program of McLaren en WEC, of which he is currently the only confirmed driver. It is in this context that he joined his new team, as they will be responsible for running the Woking LMDh in 2027.

 

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In a rare move, Jensen will not return to IMSA racing until June and the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen. Until then, his next major event will be… the 24 Hours of Le Mans (June 13-14).

A situation that surprised him himself: I was told this week that my next race would be Le Mans… and I realized it was true! "In the meantime, the Dane will remain active with testing, notably within the McLaren program. The first tests should begin in early May for the prototype with the Dallara chassis."

ALSO READ > Mikkel Jensen becomes the first driver of McLaren's Hypercar program