IMSA: Porsche takes Sebring while Michelin handles the heat and bumps

The 74th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring marked the second race for the Michelin Pilot Sport Endurance tire, bringing a new set of challenges after its successful debut at Daytona. At Sebring, those challenges were amplified by the circuit’s notoriously rough surface and high track temperatures.

“In the heat of the day we were double stinting the tires, everything went seamless,” Heinrich said.

Laurin Heinrich, alongside co-drivers Laurens Vanthoor and Felipe Nasr, took the overall victory Saturday night in the No. 7 Porsche 963. With the win, the Porsche Penske Motorsport trio has now swept the opening two races of the 2026 IMSA season.

“To execute on a day like this just makes me so proud, especially after winning GTD Pro here last year,” Heinrich said. “Now stepping up to GTP and winning it as well.”

Tire performance played a critical role throughout the race as teams managed long stints across evolving track conditions.

Heinrich faced an early challenge after being shuffled to the back of the GTP field following a fuel top-off. Planning to take a measured approach early in the stint, he quickly realized he had more grip available than expected.

Relatively soon, basically already exiting the last corner when I overtook the first car, I realized I’ve got some grip, I have a good car,” Heinrich said. “The tires were in the window from the restart onwards. I could really use it to my advantage”

That performance allowed Heinrich to charge back through the field, showcasing the capabilities of Michelin’s latest endurance tire.

The next time the Michelin Pilot Sport Endurance tire will compete is in two places at once, with the IMSA GTP class at Long Beach and the WEC Hypercar class at Imola.