Porsche Penske Seal Daytona Hat-Trick

Felipe Nasr withstood immense late pressure to deliver Porsche Penske Motorsport a third consecutive overall victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, bringing the curtain down on a dramatic and relentlessly competitive endurance classic. In a finale worthy of the race’s storied history, the Brazilian held off a charging Jack Aitken to claim victory by just 1.569 seconds after 24 hours of racing.

Nasr, sharing the No. 7 Porsche 963 with Julien Andlauer and Laurin Heinrich, was tasked with a familiar role in the closing stages: defending the lead under sustained attack. This time, however, it was Aitken in the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac who applied the pressure, rather than last year’s challengers. Despite traffic, fading tyres and the ever-present threat of a late caution, Nasr delivered a measured and resolute final stint to secure both his third successive Rolex 24 victory and another landmark win for Roger Penske and Porsche.

Behind the leading pair, BMW M Team WRT completed the podium, with Dries Vanthoor guiding the No. 24 BMW M Hybrid V8 to third after a combative run through the final hours.

The complexion of the race shifted repeatedly during the final six hours. Strategy, cautions and bold pit calls continually reshuffled the order. The sister No. 6 Porsche briefly took control after the final round of scheduled stops, with Matt Campbell and later Kevin Estre leading the way. However, a series of cautions compressed the field and opened the door for rivals, most notably BMW and Cadillac, to reassert themselves.

BMW’s Marco Wittmann enjoyed a spell at the front following a well-timed stop, while Vanthoor produced an aggressive charge through the GTP field after restarting near the back. Cadillac’s hopes of a double-podium were dashed when Jordan Taylor’s car suffered a dramatic mechanical failure and subsequent fire, eliminating a major contender in the closing stages.

The decisive moment came after the final pit sequence. Nasr rejoined narrowly ahead of Aitken, the two separated by mere tenths as they sliced through traffic. Aitken launched a bold attempt along the front straight with 20 minutes remaining but was unable to complete the move. A final surge in the closing laps brought the Cadillac back into striking distance, yet Nasr remained unflustered, edging clear to take the chequered flag.

Elsewhere, the supporting classes delivered no less drama. Alex Quinn steered CrowdStrike Racing by APR to LMP2 honours after a race-long scrap involving nearly the entire class. In GTD Pro, late Corvette misfortune opened the door for BMW’s Paul Miller Racing squad, while the GTD class produced a gripping finale as Philip Ellis claimed victory for Winward Racing after a robust duel with Nicki Thiim.

Overall Top Three – Rolex 24 at Daytona

Class Winners

Porsche’s Daytona dynasty remains firmly intact, but the narrow margin and fierce opposition served as a timely reminder: endurance racing’s greatest prize is never won easily.