Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the fabled Sebring International Raceway, the former and now rededicated Hendricks Field, which started life 80+ years ago as a training base for B17 and B25 bomber pilots in WW. II. which for years after the war lay baking in the hot Florida sun, a graveyard for the massive flying fortresses that after the United States won WW. II., would never fly again. It was decided by a local entrepreneur, Alec Ulmann, to turn the abandoned airfield into a racetrack. That is just what happened and it became home to one of the greatest sports car races in the world, which we will see in all it's glory, tomorrow, the 12 Hours of Sebring.
But first, a bonus. How about the FIA World Endurance Championship, and the 1,000 Miles of Sebring to kick us off? Oh yes. I'd love that, very much! Many of the WEC contenders will be joined by IMSA teams for their crown jewel race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, later this summer. But for today, it is their time to shine on the airfield. Ferrari scored a stonking pole lap yesterday to go to the top of the shop in Hypercar beating the venerable, all-conquering Toyota's who have had things their own way in WEC for the last five years. Could we be seeing a changing of the guard? We have Ferrari, Toyota, Peugeot, Porsche, Cadillac, Glickenhaus, and Vanwall, all set to battle at the airfield this morning. We have a wide open field in LMP2 and a wide-open field in GTE Am as well. No GTE Pro because the brands like Porsche, Ferrari, and GM that you have been so used to seeing, they are now in the Hypercar ranks under LMH or LMDh rules.
This is the third or fourth (depending on how you are counting the last few years) running of the 1,000 Miles and it is gaining all the cache that it's sister race tomorrow, has had for 71 years. As we get started, believe me, you are in for a treat. This is the first of seven events for WEC as they crisscross the continents this season and behind Le Mans, I believe this is the next biggest event on their calendar. Every one of the top name Hypercars is here. We expect to see Hertz Team Jota campaigning a privately run Porsche 963 later in the year as well as Proton Competition. We expect to see Isotta Fraschini, the legendary Italian brand from the 1930s, coming with a Hypercar, too.
That is in the future. This, is now. We have one car that shall not start today's race. The #88 GTE Am Proton Competition Porsche 911 RSR-19 was a write off after a massive accident in Free Practice. So, no chance for the trio of American Ryan Hardwick, Canadian Zacharie Robichon, and Britain's Harry Tincknell to start this motor race and we will see them later in the season, likely beginning with round two, the 6 Hours of Portimao in mid-April. I believe we are also seeing two LMP2 cars at Jota Sport as well since their Porsche 963 will not be set to go until round three at Spa Francorchamps at the end of April. That race is scheduled for two weeks after Portimao, on Saturday, April 29th.
Today, before I forget, wishing everyone a Happy St. Patrick's Day! But, the time for talk is over. It is time now to get down to business and focus on some quality motor racing. We herald the dawn of a glorious era of sports car racing, for the first time since the fabled Group C era of the 1980s. Good morning, everybody. This race is going to be great! Christian Ried starts his 79th WEC race. Bumps and lots of them. This race is 3 times less duration than Le Mans but it will be tough, believe me. Hashtag, Respect the Bumps.
Alpine, United Autosport, and Aston Martin won this race last year. The storylines are massive. Pierre Fillon and Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich together on the grid. We have the Hypercars here, ready to go. Richard Mille, the head of the World Endurance Championship. Ferrari's are racing around the world but it is Antonio Fuoco on pole on debut here at Sebring. It is a long race for them and they know what to expect. That Ferrari is ahead of the dominant Toyota's. Scuderia Ferrari are ready to push. The Ferrari has started their journey. Audi went to pole in their first WEC race. Ferrari have done it. Ferrari returns for the first time since 1973.
Sports car racing was at least as important as in Formula 1 back in 1973 and it is now. The centenary trophy for the 24 Hours of Le Mans is on a world tour before the race in June. This is suc a significant grid with the start of the end of GTE as well, as the marching band plays. Ferrari have cars in GTE as well and next year, we are going to see a bucketload of cars coming for GT3 rules next year. Ahmad Al Harthy is in his first race in the #25 ORT by TF Sport entry. Al Harthy sharing with Michael Dinan and with Charlie Eastwood. Corvette Racing, with a privateer Pratt Miller Chevrolet Corvette C8.R for Ben Keating, Nicky Catsburg from Holland, Nicolas Varrone of Argentina.
On pole, the Iron Dames in a Porsche 911 RSR-19 with Rahel Frey, Michelle Gatting, and Sara Bovy who put the Porsche on pole. Robert Kubica back in LMP2 and now he is racing with Team WRT sharing with Rui Andrade and Louis Deletraz. Lots of LMP2 reshuffling. A dozen cars with many two car teams in LMP2. We are only going to see the second Team Jota LMP2 car here at Sebring and at Portimao before Jota gets a Porsche 963 for later in the year. Antonio Felix Da Costa, Will Stevens, and Yifei Ye. The #31 WRT entry is going to be one to watch as well. Sean Gelael, Robin Frijns, and Ferdinand Habsburg.
No tire warmers allowed in the FIA WEC in 2023. So, we will have two formation laps. This is a time certain event, no longer than 8 hours or 1,000 miles. The grid is being cleared as the singing of the Star Spangled Banner takes place. The U.S. Coast Guard with the Lockheed Martin Hercules does the flyover. A C-130 actually. They are Hercules in the British Royal Air Force. Drivers are ready to go. Tom Dillman will start the Vanwall Vandervell 680 sharing with Jacques Villeneuve the 1997 Formula 1 champion and Esteban Guerreri of Argentina. Gilckenhaus are back with the SCG 007 with Ryan Briscoe, Olivier Pla, and Romain Dumas.
Next is the #93 Peugeot 9X8 with Paul di Resta, Jean-Eric Vergne, and Mikkel Jensen, and the sister car #94 of Loic Duval, Gustavo Menezes, and Nico Muller. Next, the #5 Porsche 963 of Dane Cameron, Michael Christenen, and Fred Makowiecki followed by the sister car #6 of Kevin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor, and Andre Lotterer. Next up, the #2 Cadillac V Series R of Chip Ganassi Racing with Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, and Richard Westbrook. Next up, the #51 AF Corse Ferrari 499P of James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi, and Alessandro Pier Guidi. Then comes the first Toyota, #7, of Jose Maria Lopez, Mike Conway, and Kamui Kobayashi. Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa second. On the pole, the #50 sister Ferrari 499P, Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, and Nicklas Nielsen.
Ferrari, top of the shop. Let's see how they do. They were in GTE Pro along with Porsche last year and are now stepped up with their rival, in Hypercar, for the first time in a top class prototype effort in half a century for The Prancing Horse with team boss Amato Ferrari, no relation I don't think, to Enzo. For Ferrari and Italy, amazing. No Ferrari Formula 1 drivers are Italian at this moment. One minute before the formation lap. Start your engines, please. Please clear the grid, immediately. The stars and stripes wave. It is time. Lyn St. James, one of the great racers from America, sports cars, IndyCars, Indianapolis 500, Le Mans, a great racing name. She is the grand marshal.
The cars run single file for these two formation laps to get heat into the tires. No more tire warmers in World Endurance and you cannot even leave them in the sunshine to warm them up. We are ready to go racing. We are stepping into the unknown in this race. t is going to be wild. Cinch down the belts, get plenty of nourishment and water, and stay with us throughout the day. How will this motor race unfold? The tire strategy is going to be major. One lap before we start. Watch for graining on cold tires. The clock has started and in a moment we will be off on our eight hour journey. 260 laps total if we are jolly lucky.
Safety car driver Pedro Couciero will bring it in and we'll be ready to race. Watch the LMP2 cars. They are going to be fighting. 11 Hypercars in the field from half a dozen brands. 34% of the grid have never raced here at Sebring before. One of the Peugeot's, #94 in trouble and in the lane just before the start! Criminy! Here we go. 35 cars set to start and how many remain in 8 hours, we'll see. The stars and stripes waves and we are underway! Ferrari to the lead through the first couple 0f corners, and the Toyota's are getting stuck in already. Alessandro Pier Guidi vs. Mike Conway. An inside move. Cadillac vs. Porsche. Laurens Vanthoor passes Alex Lynn as Claudio Schiavoni goes off and on and the #94 Peugeot is back on track and will want an early safety car.
The marshals in Race Control will be looking at the start. United Autosport on pole in LMP2 narrowly ahead of WRT as Claudio Schiavoni spun the #60 Iron Lynx Porsche on cold tires. Oliver Jarvis closing up on the #708 Glickenhaus. The #94 Peugeot is still slow. That is not good. Louise Beckett tells us the car is stuck in first gear, the Peugeot #94 is headed for the garage. Antonio Fuoco leading Sebastien Buemi and Mike Conway followed by Alessandro Pier Guidi, and the others as Sara Bovy leads GTE Am in the Iron Lynx Porsche followed by Ben Keating in the #33 Chevrolet Corvette C8/R/ Right now, Buemi is sticking to Fuoco like glue. The tires are coming up to temperature as we speak. Buemi is pushing and Fuoco can push the bye bye button.
At Peugeot, box, box Loic, straight to the tent. Loic Duval in trouble with the transmission. They will have to fix the car. Loic Duval has to get miles on that Peugeot, honestly. They joined the championship towards the end of last year and they haven't gotten the reliability bugs worked out while other cars like Porsche, Cadillac, and Ferrari already have. That gearbox is a bugaboo for the Peugeot. In GTE Am, Ben Keating passes Sara Bovy and now, Luis Perez Companc has also passed Michael Dinan. He has raced here in IMSA before and I think in SRO competition as well but I could be wrong.
Bovy and Keating side by side into turn one! Stefano Constantini has flipped! Full Course Yellow! Offline into turn one and Luis Perez Companc flips! Holy cow! These are strong, safe cars. But it is game over for the #83 AF Corse Ferrari. Bear left at turn one and slow down. Luis Perez Companc, Lilou Wadoux, and Alessio Rovera could be done for the day and I think they are. Luis Perez Companc from Argentina, a veteran driver, is fine. Wow. That was hairy! We saw some massive wrecks in Michelin Pilot Challenge yesterday and saw a flip in IMSA WeatherTech qualifying with one of the sister Porsche 963's as well. Well, not a flip, but a big crunch into the barriers. Tarmac runoff areas might have stopped that Ferrari 488 GTE from rolling over. Peugeot are fixing the gearbox and they need testing miles so let's hope they get back into this race with seven laps now in the bag. 26 miles.
Carlos Tavares, boss of Stellantis Group which is the company that owns Peugeot and several other brands of cars. Mikkel Jensen, driving the #93 sister Peugeot 9X8 but he does not know what is happening with the team car. Sad to see one car out of the game. #93 dealing with some issues from Free Practice. They want to gather data and get all eight hours done. The bumps make it harder for the Peugeot and they will be setting the car up more for Portimao next time out on the Algarve in Portugal. The Peugeot's tested a ton at Portimao. They do not have the pace here at Sebring which is the slowest track on the WEC calendar. Pit lane now open under safety car. Teams are not convinced of these new rules because it takes the strategy out a wee bit. Ferrari will box this lap for petrol in the #51. If you don't have track position, go for fuel.
Both Ferrari 499P's in the lane. Fuoco and Pier Guidi double stacking and not splitting strategy. Oliver Jarvis leading LMP2 in and there is also one of the Alpine's. GTE Am, wholesale fuel stops as well. Ben Keating and Michael Dinan. Dinan right on his six. One of the Ferrari's is blocked and stalls a wee bit. Something was going on for the #51 car. AF Corse brought their Hypercars in and their GTE cars. Don't do that! Do not block in with your team cars whatever on earth you do! Aye yaye yaye yaye yaye. Miguel Molina says the team was going for a splash and a dash. Every other Hypercar has stayed on track and has not pitted yet. Aston Martin #777 did likewise. Peugeot #94 is back in the race and down off the air jacks.
We might see Toyota in the lane but in a lap or so. There's lots of cleanup still to go. Toyota stay out. Okie dokie then. Tomonobu Fujii is told to stay out in the #777 D'station Aston Martin Vantage. Fujii sharing with Satoshi Hoshino and Casper Stevenson. Both United Autosport LMP2s, Alpine Elf, the first of the Prema cars and one of the Inter Europol cars. Some LMP2 teams splitting strategies early doors. Survival is key to get into the fight for the final hour. Repairs finished at turn one and so, we should go back to green soon. Peugeot #94 has lost eight laps with repairs. Toyota and Ferrari out of sequence on their pit stops as the second Alpine LMP2 is in the lane. Alpine drivers, #35 has Olli Caldwell of England, Andre Negrao of Brazil, and Memo Rojas of Mexico.
#36 is being shared by the all-French trio of Julien Canal, Charles Milesi, and Matthieu Vaxiviere. Safety car lights off. Will the other Hypercars pit? I don't think so. No overtaking before the control line coming off of Sunset Bend. The Glickenhaus is very slow and has pulled off the road. Oh dear. Green flag. Electronic woes for the Glickenhaus. The Ferrari is stymied in the second group as the Glickenhaus is now back underway. Ryan Briscoe said he lost drive on the motor. Sounds like an electronics issue. Well, well, well. The Ferrari's are further back in the queue. Laurens Vanthoor passed Alex Lynn on the initial startand is now monstering the #7 Toyota.
Sebastien Buemi vs. Mike Conway vs. Laurens Vanthoor vs. Alex Lynn. The Hypercars are heavier and slower than the old LMP1 cars. They are prototypes but are set up a lot more like GT cars. Toyota, Toyota, Porsche, Cadillac. The Hypercars are a lot more like thenold GT1 cars of the late 1990s and early to late 2000s. The Ferrari's are moving up and as the Glickenhaus had trouble, that was manna from heaven for the Toyota boys. 13 laps now on the board, 49 miles. Antonio Fuoco is pushing hard after getting stymied behind the Glickenhaus.
The LMP2 drivers are giving the Hypercar drivers ice cream headaches. Pier Guidi is getting right onto the LMP2 queue. You win or lose depending on Full Course Yellows. The D'station car leads GTE Am while Ben Keating leads Sara Bovy. Corvette C8.R vs. Porsche 911 RSR-19. They have their IMSA Lamborghini GT3 program as well. The dynamic between Sara Bovy, Michelle Gatting, and Rahel Frey is still there. Tomonobu Fujii leads GTE Am by dint of not stopping under the last Full Course Yellow. Team manager car #50 summoned to the Race Director's office. I think Antonio Fuoco jumped the restart. He is clear of the WRT cars leading in LMP2.
Sean Gelael and Robert Kubica. Now then, Sebastien Buemi is the actual leader of the race in Toyota #8. Ferrari on the fight. That is for dead sure. If the other Hypercars have to stop under green, things culd change. Corvette pit stop under investigation as well, the Ben Keating, Nicky Catsburg, Nico Varrone car. Robert Kubica remains the LMP2 leader for WRT. He and Louis Deletraz drove with Prema last year. They are back at WRT. 16 laps now completed here at Sebring, 60 miles. Four ex Formula 1 drivers in LMP2 and the reigning IMSA champion Oliver Jarvis. Bovy continuing to chase Keating in the GTE Am scrap.
Alpine vs. United Autosport in LMP2. Good battle indeed, here. Ryan Briscoe is told gearbox emergency off. So, there was a warning light and now the trouble might be being fixed at Glickenhaus. Don't overheat the tires, engine, or brakes. Get the car into a rhythm. This is a relay race, a marathon relay race. Mike Conway closing in on Sebastien Buemi as the #50 Ferrari is under investigation for overtaking under the safety car as the Glickenhaus continues having issues and it's tight for Mike Conway between Paul Dalla Lana in the #98 Aston Martin and Christian Ried in the #77 Dempsey Proton Porsche 911 RSR-19. Hypercar squeeze play. Risk and reward for the Porsche's and Aston Martin's as the Cadillac and the Porsche's come by.
Michael Christensen has started the #5 Porsche Penske Motorsports Porsche 963. Antonio Fuoco has gone by Tom Dillman and now, Alex Lynn gets stuck behind the CarGuy Ferrari and the 963 gets chopped by P.J. Hyett in the #56 AO Racing/Project 1 Porsche 911 RSR-19! Mama Mia! Robert Kubica leads LMP2. Five LMP2 cars did not stop. Gabriel Aubry is getting in touch just behind Bent Viscaal I think. Paul Dalla Lana wants by Christian Ried and makes the pass. The Vanwall is moving up. Antonio Fuoco closing in on the #93 Peugeot 9X8 of Paul di Resta.
Stefano Constantini side by side with the #77 Dempsey Proton Porsche 911 RSR-19. That is Christian Ried, Julien Andlauer, and Mikkel Pedersen. Jota wants by in LMP2 and one of them hits the pit lane and so does Sean Gelael. Damage. look, on the #10 Vector Sport entry. Sean Gelael and Will Stevens in the pit lane. Antonio Fuoco now must reel in Michael Christensen. No driver change at WRT. Through Sunset Bend and into turn one, the Peugeot 9X8's ground effects just have not worked around this track. The active suspension Williams Formula 1 car from 1992-1993 was the same way. The bumps are inducing porpoising.
Oliver Jarvis back to the LMP2 lead. Christian Ried continues the battle with Stefano Constantini. Always take fuel on pit stops under yellow. Tomonobu Fujii leads in GTE Am in the #777 D'station Aston Martin. Fujii is now a Gold rated driver. Bovy, Keating, and Dalla Lana are all Bronze and could be recategorized to Silver. Sebastien Buemi, new fast lap at 1:48 and change. Pier Guidi passes the Vanwall for seventh. Toyota have performance over the Ferrari's in the heat. What about when the air cools down later in the day? The Ferrari is now catching Michael Christensen in the #5 Porsche 963. Robert Kubica did a single stint and he is spent. Keep everything as fresh as possible. The #56 Project 1 Porsche of P.J. Hyett spins through Sunset Bend, and... ker-runch! He backs it into the wall, sideways but gets going again.
Hyett hit the wrong bump, lost grip, and spun off. Ben Keating in the Corvette C8.R being harried by Sara Bovyin the Iron Lynx Porsche. The Porsche 963 has all the echoes of the Salzburg Porsche Center 1970 Porsche 917 that won Le Mans. The same with the V Series Cadillac or the Peugeot 9X8. At Toyota, Mike Conway is told he can adjust the anti-rollbar. Prepare for Full Course Yellow, in 30 seconds, to observe the tire stacks. The #36 Alpine of Julien Canal, the Oreca, goes off the road and back on. Full Course Yellow.
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