Third consecutive victory for Porsche #7 – Record attendance at the endurance classic
Daytona Beach, January 2026 – Porsche Penske Motorsport once again demonstrated its class at the 64th 24 Hours of Daytona. The driver trio of Felipe Nasr, Julien Andlauer, and Laurin Heinrich won the historic endurance race in the Porsche #7, marking the team’s and the car’s third consecutive Daytona victory. At the finish line, their lead over the second-place Action Express Cadillac #31 was just 1.569 seconds.
For Nasr, this was already his third victory at Daytona in the Porsche #7, while Andlauer and Heinrich received the coveted Rolex watch for their overall victory for the first time. Porsche thus confirmed its status as the favorite, but had to fight hard to defend its lead right up to the finish.
At the start of the race, the Porsche 963 dominated and quickly pulled away from the competition. However, multiple safety car periods repeatedly neutralized their lead. By the final third of the race at the latest, an exciting three-way battle developed between Porsche, Cadillac, and BMW, which was only decided on the final straight.
Strategic considerations prevented Porsche from securing a one-two finish. The second Penske Porsche (#6) initially fell far behind following an unfortunate strategic decision during a late caution period. Although the car fought its way back up the field with a strong undercut, it ultimately had to settle for fourth place. Earlier damage to the underbody had a noticeable impact on performance during the final stint.
In a surprise result, the WRT BMW #24 finished on the podium, taking third place in its GTP class debut. The BMW M Hybrid V8s proved to be significantly more competitive overall than had been expected during practice sessions. As a result, three different manufacturers were represented on the overall podium.
Behind the top teams, the Meyer-Shank Acura #93 finished in fifth place. A total of nine cars in the GTP class were classified in the leading lap. The WTR Cadillac #10, however, retired about two hours before the end of the race due to engine failure.
The race was disappointing for Aston Martin. The sole LMH prototype deployed struggled with both technical problems and a lack of competitiveness, finishing only tenth in the GTP classification.
The race was overshadowed by an exceptionally long interruption: due to thick fog, there was a safety car period of over six and a half hours during the night – the longest in the event's history. Despite these circumstances, the organizer recorded a new spectator record, although specific numbers were not released.
With a dramatic finish, strategic twists, and a new attendance record, the 2026 Daytona 24 Hours once again underscored its status as one of the world's most significant endurance races.