After skipping last year’s visit to Sebring, Audi returns in force with R18 TDIs for the 2011 Le Mans winners Lotterer/Tréluyer/Fassler, McNish/Kristensen/Capello (Sebring winners in 2006 and 2009) and Timo Bernhard/Romain Dumas/TBA.

Audi will be hunting for its 10^th victory at Sebring – 12 years after its first success there with Biela/Pirro/Kristensen – and also for its first WEC points.

The question is whether anybody will be able to beat Audi/Michelin? The chief threats are likely to come from the Strakka Racing- or JRM-run HPD-ARX03As, the same car which finished on last year’s podium in 2011 in the hands of Highcroft Racing. Rebellion Racing will also be in Florida with two Toyota-engined Lolas, while OAK Racing will have a Pescarolo-Judd.

The LMP2 entry list features no fewer than nine cars, including the Signatech-Nissan Oreca03-Nissans, the ADR-Delta, the OAK Racing Morgan-Judd, the Starworks HPD-ARX03b, the Greaves Motorsport Zytek and the Gulf Racing Lola-Nissan.

The 30 WEC-registered cars will be joined by the 2012 ALMS runners and around 60 cars are expected to start at Sebring.

2012 12 hours of Sebring, Audi, Highcroft Racing, Michelin, Signatech-Nissan, Strakka Racing