Strong event for FIA WEC racers as Vanthoor tames high-banked circuit in winning Porsche 963
27 January, 2025 (Daytona Beach, FLA) – Porsche Penske Motorsport gave a strong indication that it’s ready to defend its FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar class title with with an impressive 1-3 finish in the 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona, the opening event in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
The two Porsche 963s were driven by four drivers entered by the team for 2025 FIA WEC Hypercar competition, and were among nearly 30 FIA WEC drivers to take the grueling test of the 3.56-mile circuit that combined the 31-degree banking with a challenging infield ahead of racing in next month’s season-opening Qatar Airways 1812KM.
2024 FIA WEC co-champion Laurens Vanthoor was aboard the winning No. 7 Porsche Penske 963, with co-champ Kevin Estre joining Matt Campbell and Mathieu Jaminet in taking third in the No. 6 Porsche Penske entry. For WEC competition, Vanthoor, Campbell and Estre will drive the No. 6 for Porsche Penske Motorsports, with Jaminet in the No. 5 Porsche 963.
Kevin Magnussen and Dries Vanthoor – who share the No. 15 BMW M Hybrid V8 for Team WRT in FIA WEC this season – finished fourth for Bobby Rahal’s BMW Team RLL, while Toyota Gazoo GRO10-Hybrid driver Brendon Hartley placed fifth aboard a Cadillac LMDh for Wayne Taylor.
The WeatherTech Championship’s lead GTP class is comprised of LMDh and Hypercar prototypes also eligible for the WEC Hypercar category. It also includes a class for LMP2 prototypes and two classes for GT3 machines – GTD Pro and GTD – which utilizes similar regulations as LMGT3.
FIA WEC pilots were at the forefront of all the IMSA classes for the season-opening event, as Sheldon van der Linde, driver of the No. 20 BMW, joined Peugeot Totalenergies No. 93 driver Paul Di Resta in finishing second in LMP2.
Daniel Juncadella, driver of the No. 33 TF Sport Corvette, finished second for the No. 3 Pratt Miller Corvette in GTD Pro. His WEC co-driver Ben Keating raced two cars in the Rolex 24, finishing fourth in LMP2 and ninth in GTP Pro.
The 2025 FIA WEC Season will open with the traditional Prologue in Doha, Qatar in February ahead of the Qatar Airways 1812KM (28 February). The FIA WEC regulars will return to North America when they visit for the 2025 Lone Star Le Mans, September 7-9 at the Circuit of the Americas.
Photo via Porsche