The World Endurance Championship’s sole American appearance results in dream finish for Corvette.
- Toyota goes one-two; the Ferrari 499P Hypercar rounds out the podium.
- 2022 LMP2 title winners Jota continue their winning ways.
- Corvette takes LMGTE Am win on its home turf.
Toyota Gazoo Racing dominated the opening round of the 2023 World Endurance Championship Friday winning the 1000 Miles of Sebring taking the top two spots over the Ferrari 499P Hypercar.
Despite limited practice time, and a practice crash on Thursday, the GR010 Hybrid No. 7 of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José María López emerged with the win after 239 laps. Kobayashi brought the car home 2.168 seconds over the Toyota of 2022 Le Mans winners Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa in the No. 8 GR010.
WEC 1000 Miles of Sebring Results
WEC
“A one-two was the best result we could hope for, but this is just the start of a big fight this season,” Kobayashi said. “We deserved to win but we do not under-estimate the other manufacturers; today our experience helped us but we will face a big challenge this season, so we have to get stronger and fight even harder. This championship is getting really exciting, and I am happy to be part of it.”
Thursday’s pole winning entry the Ferrari 499P Hypercar crewed by Antonio Fuoco, Nicklas Nielsen and Miguel Molina took the final podium spot.
Fuoco was behind the wheel early on and led until the Ferrari AF Corse team elected to pit both of its 499Ps under a safety car for a splash of fuel. That proved to be their undoing as Toyota took command of the race from that point with first the No. 8 car with Hartley then the No. 7 who took over the lead during a round of pit stops during a full course caution.
In the final hour the No. 2 Cadillac with Alex Lynn, Earl Bamber and Richard Westbrook challenged Ferrari for the final podium position but had to settle for fourth.
Porsche Penske Motorsport took fifth and sixth with the new Porsche 963 Hypercar as the 5 car of Frederic Makowiecki, Michael Christensen and Dane Cameron led the 6 of Laurens Vanthoor, Andre Lotterer and Kevin Estre.
The second Ferrari AF Corse 499P, the 51, was seventh after losing time on track for repairs after contact with one of the LMGTE Am cars.
The sole Floyd Vanwall entry of Jacques Villeneuve, Tom Dillmann and Esteban Guerrieri sealed eighth place on its Hypercar debut, with the pair of Peugeot TotalEnergies entries rounding out the top ten.
Last year’s LMP2 title winners Jota began its season with a victory in their entry shared by Yifei Ye, Will Stevens and David Beckmann.
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Reigning Champs Jota Win LMP2
Las year’s LMP2 title winners Jota began its season with a victory in their entry shared by Yifei Ye, Will Stevens and David Beckmann, after taking control in the second half of the race.
Beckmann won in his FIA WEC debut while reigning champion Stevens took the win in what is his penultimate LMP2 race of the season before he switches to the Porsche 963 Hypercar from Spa-Francorchamps.
The 23 United Autosports Oreca-Gibson looked in control over the first portion of the race, but a power loss stranded the car on the track with Joshua Pierson at the wheel.
The sister United Autosports machine of Filipe Albuquerque, Frederick Lubin and Phil Hanson took second after a tense final hour battle with the 31 Team WRT car shared by Robin Frijns, Ferdinand Habsburg and Sean Gelael which eventually crossed the finish line fourth in class.
Albuquerque leapfrogged the 63 Prema Racing entry that was forced to do a late splash and go stop for fuel. Daniil Kvyat, Doriane Pin and Mirko Bortolotti completed their debut as a trio by rounding out the class podium.
Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating and Nicolas Varrone, in the No. 33 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, took the first LMGTE Am win of 2023.
James Moy PhotographyGetty Images
Corvette Takes LMGTE Am Honors
Corvette was able to celebrate a win in the first race of the season on home soil. Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating and Nicolas Varrone, in the No. 33 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, took the first LMGTE Am win of 2023 despite challenges from Aston Martin, Ferrari and Porsche entries.
Reigning class champion Keating was able to start his title defense with the win after moving from Aston Martin.
“It’s really special for me to be driving something I sell,” Keating said. “And to be representing an American brand and winning the only American race for the World Endurance Championship and taking advantage of what I feel like is a home-field advantage. It was a really great job by everyone at Corvette.”
The No. 77 Dempsey Proton Porsche 911 RSR 19 of Julien Andlauer, Christian Ried and Mikkel Pedersen was second while the Kessel Racing Ferrari squad of Daniel Serra, Takeshi Kimura and Scott Huffaker took the Swiss team’s best FIA WEC result and made it three different manufacturers to fill out the class’ podium.
Keyword: Toyota Rules WEC 1000 Miles of Sebring Winning With Dominating Performance