59th Annual 12 Hours of Sebring: 2011 Race Report

Below is a breakdown of the 12 Hours of Sebring as it happened.

Hour 1
With 56 cars on the 3.7 mile track here at Sebring it was always going to be difficult race to call in all classes with traffic and stoppages likely to play a significant part. Within 2 laps the new 908 Peugeots had stormed in to a 1-2 at the front. In the GT class the Corvette with Oliver Gavin at the wheel managed a great move to pass the #51 Ferrari and take the lead only to lose it back again at the chicane after contact between the two cars. BMWs expected charge took a blow when Dirk Müllers car received a puncture. With just 25 minutes gone the Lamborghini managed to break a wheel and the first of many full course cautions closed the packs together. After the first round of pit stops it was still a Peugeot 1-2 with Allan McNish’s Audi in hot pursuit, however disaster struck the other Audi with Mike Rockenfeller at the wheel as it suffered 2 punctures and went behind the pit wall for repair work.

 
Hours 2 & 3
Audi found themselves out in front as the Peugeot’s pitted for fuel in the 2nd hour, whilst the damaged Audi returned to the race at the back of the LMP1 pack. In GT things were a lot closer with Ferrari F458 competing with the Corvette and BMW for the lead. The absence of Porsche at the front was a surprise with the Flying Lizard team leading the chasing pack. A number of cautions played havoc with strategy during this period, one as a result of a brand new Ferrari F458 colliding with the tyre wall at speed. The driver Johannes Van Overbeek was OK but the car was written off.
By the 75th lap of the race Anthony Davidson in the Peugeot 908 found himself in the lead as all the leaders pitted. Peugeot only taking on fuel allowed them out with a cushion over the Audi. The Highcroft Racing HPD continued its impressive start and now moved up to 3rd overall just ahead of the diesel powered Oreca team. The teams of Muscle Milk, Rebellion racing and Dyson were failing to make inroads on the leaders but continued at decent pace. By this stage the GT class was dominated by the BMWs with the Risi Competition Ferrari F458 the only car challenging the monopoly.

Hours 4, 5 & 6
The heat must have been getting to some of the crews during this part of the race as elementary errors were made. The AF Corse Ferrari F458 for example, lost time thanks to a penalty from having too many men in the pits. On the circuit errors led to yellow flags that interrupted the flow of the race again. With cars scattering to the pits and changing strategies due to the cautions the Oreca team took the lead for the first time at this point and in the GT class the Risi Ferrari managed to leave the pit lane in front of the BMWs.

Arguably the race defining moment occurred at the end of the Ulmann straight when Marc Gene’s Peugeot collided with Dindo Capello’s Audi. Both cars were damaged and had to return to the garages for work, leaving only one of the factory diesels (Peugeot) without issues. This was the moment when the other teams stepped up, and the petrol powered Highcroft, with Simon Pagenaud behind the wheel grabbed the lead until the next round of planned stops when Montagny took the Peugeot back out in front again. 

 

Hours 7, 8 & 9
The Audis began this period 6 laps adrift of the leaders and so unlikely to challenge and the #7 Peugeot was even further back and so the race at the front was well and truly on. The other Peugeot 908 continued to lead ahead of the Highcroft HPD and then the Oreca team a little further back.

The GT class had some of the best racing between the Ferraris of AF Corse and Risi and the 2 BMWs in the lead. The Corvette was in the mix too, although relying on the yellow flags to stay in touch.

As dusk drew in at Sebring the LMP1 lead changed again as Loic Duval in the Oreca car jumped in to the lead ahead of David Brabham in the Highcroft car. Sarrazin in the Peugeot re-entered the action after a routine pits stop in 3rd. When the Peugeot required replacement front bodywork and then Pedro Lamy, new in to the car, spun on his out lap the Peugeot fell further behind.

A nasty incident occurred out by turn one when the Oak Racing Pescarolo came to a stop after a fuel line broke inside the cockpit. The driver, Matthie Lahaye suffered burns to his legs forcing his teams’s retirement out on track.

Hours 10,11 & 12
As the sun sets over Sebring the drivers gain relief from driving directly in to the sun along the Ullman straight and again in to the hairpin. This, combined with cooler temperatures, allowed some of the cars to quicken their pace and challenge once again. The Audi with McNish at the wheel during a 3 hour stint,suddenly found speed and unlapped itself to be only 4 laps behind the lead and eventually 4th overall.
In the GT class the BMWs began to pull away and the lead only changed between the 2 cars as they pitted. The Corvette followed in 3rd as the Risi Ferrari F458 failed to restart in the pits. After the battery issues were sorted they rejoined the race in the GT pack and their hunt for glory disappeared.
At the front the battle became a 2 header between the Oreca car with Lapierre at the wheel and the Highcroft car with Pagenaud fighting for the lead. Nervous team members were fretting as calculations were made about which team could make it to the end without pitting, and who would need a splash and dash. However, while this was happening Montagny in the Peugeot sound new speed on new tyres and caught and passed the Highcroft car. However the 908 would soon have to pit and gave up the position. The nails were being bitten on the pit wall. As they entered the final hour the Oreca’s lead over Highcroft was just 54 seconds with the Peugeot a further 40 seconds back.
Duval took over from Lapierre at the start of the hour with new tyres too, giving Pagenaud and Highcroft the lead but they would have to stop too. Oreca duly passed the Highcroft car when it pitted.

Joey Hand took over in the lead BMW hoping to take the winners podium for the second time this year, having also won at the Rolex 24 hours at Daytona.

The Peugeot 908 challenge finally ended when a pit stop error caused the car to stall and it dropped away from the lead pair who were now separated by just 24 seconds. Minutes ticked by in the dark at Sebring.

Crucially the Oreca team were able to come in for a “splash and Dash” and rejoin the action without a problem. Duval in the Oreca now had a run for the flag with Pagenaud chasing hard just seconds behind. Something had to give. Sadly for Highcroft it was them, as their long run for home and the chase for the lead was taking its toll on their fuel. They had to resort to fuel saving measures to ensure they didn’t give up 2nd to the fast closing Peugeot.

Review
So after 12 hours of exciting racing the result is a great win for the Oreca team. Team boss Hugues de Chaunac was on the pit wall in tears. Finishing just 32 seconds behind in second place is the Highcroft Racing Team just 13 seconds ahead of the third placed Peugeot. The last outing for the Audi R15++ ends with 4th and 5th place finishes.

BMW finished with a 1-2 in the GT class with both cars only separated by 10 seconds. A great result for Bobby Rahal and his team.

Elsewhere in a much reduced LMP2 race the Level 5 Lola HPD triumphed with a 10 lap buffer to the second placed Signatech Oreca Nissan and the winners of the GTE Am class were Krohn Racing.

If you would like to be at the 60th anniversary 12 hours of Sebring in March 2012, please register early to receive all details. Accommodation is strictly limited and demand is high. Call Travel Destinations now on 0844 873 0203 or email your details to info@traveldestinations.co.uk to be the first to receive more information on tickets, accommodation, car hire and flights.