Cadillac’s Sebastien Bourdais leads the 12 Hours of Sebring an hour in, with the veteran Frenchman taking the lead off polesitter and Cadillac stablemate Pipo Derani with just over an hour gone.
Derani, onboard the #31 Action Express Cadillac V-Series.R started from pole with Bourdais, in the #01 Cadillac V-Series.R behind him, with Felipe Nasr third in the #7 Porsche 963, before a full course yellow and subsequent safety car period for on track debris meant the GTP field pitted and the order changed.
This promoted Louis Deletraz, driving the #40 WTRAndretti Acura ARX-06, to second behind Derani. He started third but lost the place to Nasr on the opening lap, then fell further back after an uncharacteristically scrappy stint for the Swiss driver. Quick work from the WTR Andretti team promoted Deletraz to second, with Bourdais third.
After it went green again Bourdais quickly got by Deletraz and Derani to take the lead.
In LMP2, prior to the pit stops under yellow, Ben Keating leds in the #2 United Autosports Oreca 07-Gibson. He took the lead off teammate Dan Goldburg, in the sister #22 United Autosports, who lead from the race from the start after polesitter PJ Hyett, in the #99 AO Racing Oreca 07-Gibson, had an issue on the formation lap.
After the stops, Nick Boulle, who was third before Goldburg, took the lead in the #52 Inter Europol Oreca 07-Gibson. Keating is second in class with Goldburg third.
GTD Pro is lead by Jack Hawksworth, who has led the race from pole in the #14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3, and maintained it during the pit stop cycle behind the safety car. Mario Farnbacher, driving the #23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo, is second, with Madison Snow third in the #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3.
At the start, the GTD field was rocked by an incident for the #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3, where it span across the track after turn 1, after contact with other cars. This meant the two McLarens, from Pfaff in GTD Pro and Inception in GTD, had to take avoiding action, making contact with each other. The Pfaff car subsequently got a puncture and spent the first part of the hour being repaired, and is now 13 laps down. THe Risi Ferrari did manage to avoid everybody and sustained no damage.
Finally, in GTD, Frankie Montecalvo leads in the sister #12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus, with Misha Goikhberg second on board the #78 Forte Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2. Third is John Potter in the #44 Magnus Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo.
