Just as it was in the Le Mans 24 Hours, it was a case of third time lucky for Peugeot who picked up a resounding one-two finish in the 12 Hours of Sebring at its third attempt, with the N°07 908 HDi FAP of Wurz/Gené/Davidson finishing clear of the N°08 sister car (Bourdais/Lamy/Minassian). LMP2 was won by the Cytosport-run Porsche RS Spyder, while the Risi Competizione Ferrari clinched the spoils in LMGT2. Michelin partners won every class.

Victoire Peugeot

The 908 HDi FAPs ran strongly all week in Florida, both during pre-race testing, as well as in the 12 Hours of Sebring itself. Peugeot qualified on pole position (Marc Gené), posted the fastest race lap (Bourdais, 1m 44.972s) and led for every one of the classic’s 367 laps before rounding off its assertive week in the USA with a one-two finish.

The scrap between the two French cars kept spectators entertained thanks to a combination of offset pit-stop strategies and a number of safety car appearances which kept them close together at the front of the field. The N°07 car finally gained the upper hand for good after a pit stop and Wurz succeeded in shrugging off the pressure applied by Bourdais and Minassian.

Third place went to the Aston Martin, three laps down, after a pretty solitary run which saw its two main rivals fall back with problems. The Drayson Racing Lola-Judd managed to split the two Peugeots early on thanks to an outstanding stint by Emanuele Pirro, but the car was forced to pit for an alternator change shortly afterwards. The Highcroft Racing HPD also challenged for the podium before spending a significant chunk of time fixing an electrical problem in the second half of the race.

Victory in LMP2 consequently went to the Porsche RS Spyder of Pickett/Graf/Maassen, while the LMGT2 class produced the expected thriller, with the Risi Competizione Ferrari (Melo/Bruni/Kaffer) eventually taking a deserved win ahead of the two very quick BMW E92s. The Flying Lizard Porsche led momentarily before being damaged by a stray wheel. Meanwhile, it was a race to forget for Corvette Racing whose two cars collided in the pits early in the race. The LMPC contest was won by Tucker/Bouchut/Wikins.

Michelin secured its 12th consecutive victory at Sebring and claimed victory in every class. The prototype prize in the MICHELIN GREEN X Challenge went to the N°08 Peugeot, while the N°44 Porsche was the most energy-efficient GT contender.

Michelin Green X Challenge

12 heures de Sebring, Michelin, Peugeot, Victoire