Porsche and Ferrari. Two historic names in motor racing return to stamp their names on the Daytona roll of honour. This is the first for the German company overall victory among the prototypes in a 24 hour race since the days of the 919 Lmp1, prevailing over a Cadillac that was never tamed until the final stages. Ferrari instead ends a wait that lasted ten yearswith the success in GTD Pro of the 296 GT3, the second success in a 24 hour race after the Nurburgring.
GTP
The race in the queen category develops according to the premises of the qualifications. From the start to the checkered flag, Porsche and Cadillac showed an edge, with BMW and Acura struggling the most. The theme of performance is soon replaced by that of reliability, with several technical failures who slowly winnow down the contenders for victory. The ambitions of BMW for example, they go out during the night, with first the #24 stopping on the track and being towed into the paddock, followed shortly afterwards by the #25, pushed into the garage at the end of a pit stop in which the mechanics had worked on the transmission.
It's no better Edited, winner of the 2023 edition. Both WTR Andretti cars are victims of electronic problems, but while the #40 just loses a lap, promptly recovered thanks to the Safety Cars, the #10 is definitively cut out of the fight for victory. Not even the two great protagonists are free from drawbacks. The #1 Cadillac was even forced to retire after stopping on the track, while the #6 Porsche served six penalties for breaking the power limits.
As dawn breaks, a battle for victory emerges between the #31 Cadillac, which started from pole position, and the #7 963 of the official Penske team. The decisive challenge falls on the shoulders of Felipe Nasr and Tom Blomqvist, the latter author of an overtaking move on the Porsche which took the lead 80 minutes from the end. However, the entry of the Safety Car less than an hour from the end shuffles the cards and the Porsche regains the lead thanks to a faster pit stop. The last half hour sees Blomqvist close behind Nasr, but the Brazilian resists and gives away the first ever success in a 24 hour race goes to the Porsche 963, along with Josef Newgarden, Dane Cameron and Matt Campbell. Appointment with victory postponed for the Cadillac Dallara of Pipo Derani, Jack Aitken and Tom Blomqvist, while the Acura #40 is third with Louis Deletraz, Colton Herta, Jenson Button and Jordan Taylor.
GTD Pro
The race in GTD Pro does not fail to provide emotions. The opening lines immediately see a twist, with the Lexus #14, starting from the front row, remaining innocently involved in an accident with the Motul LMP2 #20, finding itself cut out of the fight for victory. The protagonists of the night are the Ferrari #62 of Risi Competizione, the two Corvettes, the Porsche #77 of AO Racing and the BMW #1 of Paul Miller Racing.
With six hours to go the #3 Corvette was brought back into the garage due to technical problems, followed an hour later by its #4 twin. Ferrari comes back in the lead and overtakes BMW, which with two hours to go is forced to say goodbye to its dreams of glory. The M4 GT3 begins to suffer brake problems, requiring their replacement, an operation that is not without complications and which forces a further pit stop. Nothing at that point can stop the Risi Competizione crew, with Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Daniel Serra and Davide Rigon celebrating Ferrari's first success at the 24 Hours of Daytona since 2014, also signed on that occasion by Pier Guidi.
Ferrari's race was not without thrills. Shortly after sunset, a fuel leak caused a fire during refueling, costing the crew a lap delay, which was made up for by the next Safety Car. For the Maranello company it is the third 24 hour race won in less than a year, along with successes at Le Mans and the Nurburgring. The Porsche #77 of Priaulx-Heinrich-Christensen was in second place, while the BMW #1 of van der Linde-Snow-Sellers-Verhagen was third.
GTD
There Mercedes #57 she is the winner in the GTD class. Word, Morad, Elis and Dontje were in the lead for a long time, achieving a well-deserved success. The Ferrari #23 of Triarsi Competizione was among those that worried the leading quartet most of all, but had to settle for fourth place after being hit by the BMW #1 GTD Pro while fighting for the victory. However, there are two Ferraris on the podium, in order the #21 AF Corse of Miguel Molina, Simon Mann, Kei Cozzolino and Francois Heriau, preceding the #34 of Conquest Racing with Alessandro Balzan, Albert Costa, Manny Franco and Cedric Sbirazzuoli.
Lmp2
Era Motorsport car #18 won the race in the Lmp2 class, thanks to the driving of Ryan Dalziel, Dwight Merriman, Connor Zilisch and Christian Rasmussen. Second position for the #4 of the CrowdStrike of Kurtz-Braun-Sowery-Jakobsen, while the #74 of the Riley is third with Gar Robinson, Felipe Fraga, Josh Burdon and the ex-Formula 1 Felipe Massa. 24 hours to forget for the #88 of AF Corse, forced to retire in the early hours.
#hours #Daytona #it39s #Ferrari #celebration #Porsche #lead
