{"id":343305,"date":"2026-03-23T06:34:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T06:34:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/343305\/"},"modified":"2026-03-23T06:34:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T06:34:17","slug":"imsa-news-porsche-penske-driver-claims-team-orders-not-respected","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/343305\/","title":{"rendered":"IMSA news: Porsche Penske driver claims team orders \u2018not respected\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Porsche
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe #7 Porsche 963 won the Sebring 12 Hours.<\/p>\n

The #6 Porsche 963 of Kevin Estre, Matt Campbell, and Laurens Vanthoor finished second to the sister #7 car of Felipe Nasr, Julien Andlauer, and Laurin Heinrich.<\/p>\n

With one hour and 12 minutes remaining, Nasr in the #7 conceded the lead to Estre in the #6 in a move reportedly orchestrated by the team.<\/p>\n

As the final stanza race approached, commentators on the official IMSA broadcast suggested that Estre and Nasr had been given the call by Porsche Penske Motorsport to hold position.<\/p>\n

However, with one hour and four minutes to go, Nasr retook the lead with a pass at the final turn after several laps of defence from Estre.<\/p>\n

Speaking post-race in a tense press conference, Estre explained the incident at length.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were on similar strategies, we stopped pretty much at the same time, just at some points on different tyres,\u201d said Estre.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were back and forth but definitely at some point there was a call from a pit stand which was not respected on the other end.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was driving the car, respecting what we were saying, trying to optimise our strategy and trying to get to the end because we needed to save some fuel, so that\u2019s what I did.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut somehow Felipe did something else. That\u2019s when the pass happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nasr skipped way from Estre in the closing 20 minutes of the race after a full course caution bunched the field up.<\/p>\n

In the end, Nasr won by 1.515s while third place finishers Earl Bamber, Jack Aitken, and Frederik Vesti were 10 seconds away in the #31 Action Express Racing Cadillac.<\/p>\n

\u201cTowards the end he had the pace in clean air and he was fast enough that I couldn\u2019t attack,\u201d Estre said of Nasr.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would definitely have done it, but there was no opportunity. On pace, for sure towards the end they were there, but we had a brilliant race and we had a shot.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomehow, just one hour before the end, something happened that was not too fair from my side.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why we are all very frustrated and it\u2019s not nice. But it\u2019s the way it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Felipe<\/p>\n

Felipe Nasr, Laurin Heinrich, and Julien Andlauer celebrate winning the Sebring 12 Hours.<\/p>\n

Estre explained that both cars had been told to conserve to the end of the race, as the team was aware the final leg could go green to the chequered flag.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had some calls from the pit stand and while driving you assume that both cars have the same call,\u201d said Estre.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got confirmation that we had the same call, and Felipe decided to do something else that brought him the race. That\u2019s it really.<\/p>\n

This is going to be a interesting podcast on Monday.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Laurens Vanthoor (@VanthoorLaurens) March 22, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI just respected what the team told me. It was not to play or anything; it was just to save fuel towards the end because we didn\u2019t know the amount of yellow.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the end there was a lot of yellow, we didn\u2019t need to pit again, otherwise we would have been tight on fuel.<\/p>\n

\u201cFelipe can say what he feels, I just know what I felt, what was the rule, what was the communication.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was clear on both sides from what I understood, but in the end it didn\u2019t happen that way, so that\u2019s the way it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Porsche Penske Motorsport driver Kevin Estre.<\/p>\n

Nasr, meanwhile, did not confirm details of any team orders.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are going to be different versions, right? My version, the team\u2019s version, the other driver\u2019s version,\u201d said Nasr.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I stand for what I\u2019m here for. I signed up for this program because I believe I can win for the program and I can win for the team.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think I have much to say honestly. I am here to win at the end of the day, and I won for the team. It\u2019s a one-two in the end, a big points day for the whole organisation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The IMSA SportsCar Championship returns at the Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 18 with GTP and GTD in action.<\/p>\n


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