24h Le Mans
The Le Mans Hypercar's involvement in the IMSA beginning in 2023 recalls that in 2012, FIA World Endurance Championship and American Le Mans Series (predecessor of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship) competitors faced off at the 12 Hours of Sebring. The 60th running of the classic race in Florida counted in the 2012 ALMS season and served as the very first round of the newly created FIA WEC.
Sixty-four cars took the start in the 60th running of the historic 12 Hours of Sebring in 2012: 30 in the FIA WEC and 34 in the American Le Mans Series. The field included 11 LMP1s, 13 LMP2/P2s, nine PCs, five LMGTE Pros, 10 GTs, seven LMGTE Ams and nine GTCs. Audi, HPD, Morgan, Pescarolo, ORECA, Lola, BMW, Chevrolet Corvette, Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin were all present.
The pole was secured by André Lotterer at the wheel of the #1 Audi R18 TDi in 1:45.820 in front of the #2. During qualifying, Audi came out ahead of the new HPDs trailed by the Lola and Pescarolo cars.
The main factor on competitors' minds going into the race was traffic on the track as 64 cars on a six-kilometer circuit amounts to one car per 100 meters. Traffic management was clearly key and the nighttime free practice on Thursday proved it. An accident between a spun-out Porsche GT, a Lola/Rebellion and the #3 Audi set the tone for caution heading into the round.
After a race punctuated by as many as 11 neutralisations (55 laps under the safety car) and plenty of action in the LMP2 and GTE classes, Audi emerged triumphant at the very first race of the newly formed FIA World Endurance Championship. The #2 Audi R18 TDi shared by Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen and Rinaldo Capello claimed the top step ahead of the #3 driven by Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Loïc Duval. Interestingly, an LMP2 rather than an LMP1 took the third spot on the podium. It was the #44 HPD ARX 03b entered by Starworks Motosport and entrusted to Ryan Dalziel, Enzo Potolicchio and Stéphane Sarrazin. The Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 won the LMGTE Pro class and Team Felbermayr-Proton's #88 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR scored the victory in LMGTE Am.
That 60th running of the 12 Hours of Sebring was the only race in which the FIA WEC and IMSA went head to head. The two championships did cross paths again during the 2018-2019 Super Season of the FIA WEC when the 1,000 Miles of Sebring was held as a prelude to the 2019 12 Hours of Sebring.
Starting in 2023, Le Mans Hypercars will be eligible to participate in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races alongside LMDh prototypes in the Hypercar class.
2012 12 Hours of Sebring photos:
