As the sun began its descent on the thrilling 2025 12 Hours of Sebring, the race track was teeming with anticipation. With just three hours left on the clock, cars were standing by under safety car conditions, poised for a restart that promised high-octane action.
The race had run smoothly since Brendon Hartley’s mishap in the fifth hour, with the green flag flying high up until the ninth hour’s conclusion. A few spins and offs punctuated the race, but it was Casper Stevenson of the No. 27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin team who brought the action to a halt. His car spun out at Turn 17 and came to a standstill, prompting the deployment of the safety car.
This unforeseen event breathed new life into the field, erasing all previous gaps and sparking a frenzy of pit stop activity as the 10th hour kicked off. The No. 31 Whelen Cadillac used this opportunity to snatch the lead from the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963, which was relegated to second place. The No. 6 Porsche held steady in third, followed by the No. 93 Acura and the No. 25 BMW, which had cleverly pitted just before the caution.
However, the pit lane saw an unexpected clash between two GTP contenders. Tom Blomqvist in the No. 60 Acura MSR ARX-06 and Philipp Eng in the No. 24 BMW Team RLL collided while exiting the pit lane, dealing a severe blow to both their prospects. Blomqvist’s car was badly damaged, and Eng’s vehicle required a second stop for repairs, sending both cars spiraling down the ranks.
Meanwhile, Lamborghini’s SC63 prototype, run by Riley, was prematurely retired due to suspected floor damage after completing 256 laps. This marked a disappointing start to the season for the team, which had already suffered a DNF in the previous race.
In the LMP2 class, the No. 04 Crowdstrike by APR ORECA was leading the pack, although a penalty for failing to comply with tire operational requirements had wiped out their comfortable lead.
The GTD Pro class was shaping up to be a thrilling contest, with the No. 65 Ford Mustang at the helm, followed by the No. 4 Corvette, the No. 48 Paul Miller BMW, and the No. 77 AO Porsche. The GTD class saw its share of drama too, with the No. 34 Conquest Racing Ferrari unexpectedly taking the lead.
The race also saw a significant setback for the No. 32 Korthoff Competition Motors Mercedes-AMG GT3, which had to retire due to power loss. This was a major disappointment for the Ohio-based team, which had put up a commendable performance in the first half of the race.
The pole-sitting No. 21 AF Corse Ferrari briefly held the lead before an off-track incident at Turn 1 forced it to retire. This left the lead to the No. 27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin, which, despite a strong fight, eventually fell back to second position.
With less than four hours to go, the high drama and intense action promised a thrilling conclusion to the 2025 12 Hours of Sebring. The race was proving to be a true test of skill, strategy, and endurance for all teams involved.
