Porsche Penske Motorsport #7 driver Felipe Nasr recounts his emotional third consecutive victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona in January 2026.
After 24 hours of running, including six-and-a-half hours behind the safety car, it all came down to just 1.5 seconds.
As
With the Brazilian driver sharing the Porsche 963 with
Heading into Victory Lane, the team was visibly emotional - most of all Nasr, on an “incredible” day he says he will “never forget.”
“It felt like a lot of emotions, and especially having three Daytona victories in a row, it's just unique. It's very special,” he said as he reflected on the victory.
“I think day after day, you start to realise more and more after the race what we just achieved as a team. As a brand and myself as a driver, it’s for sure one of those desires and dreams you have as a race driver to put yourself in the history of this race as a three-time consecutive winner.
The #7 car started third for this year’s edition of the race, but Nasr, who drove the first stint, immediately made progress - he was straight up into second before Turn 1, taking the lead soon after before the first full-course-yellow period.
The trio looked in control for much of the opening stages, opening a gap of almost four seconds in the first three hours.
Despite stopping for repairs to the front of the car during the overnight safety car period due to heavy fog, the #7 car led once more as the green flag was waved.
With two hours remaining, the #7 was secure in the lead, having built up a comfortable gap, and by the final stops it held the advantage over its rivals.
But a strong challenge from the #31 Cadillac in the final 30 minutes left viewers on tenterhooks, with Nasr driving an incredibly tense final few laps as the chasing car cut the gap to just 1.5 seconds by the chequered flag.
“The race itself was just very intense, especially those last hours in the car - the last hour in the car was very intense,” Nasr said.
“Every win has a different meaning. They’re all special in every way - I'm not taking any credit of any of the wins, they just all feel different in a way. And this one felt very different than the others because instead of chasing the leader, I was being chased all the time.
“I knew of the responsibility I had behind the wheel to be close in the race, and I didn't want to let my team down at all. I just wanted to make sure we gave everything we had to battle the #31 and to battle the other competitors, which I did.
“I remember Travis [Law, Competition Director of Porsche Penske Motorsport] saying on the radio, ‘it's 15 laps to go, 12 laps to go, 10 laps to go’. It felt like an eternity to pass. All I knew was that I had to keep myself focused, each corner at a time, each breaking point, I have to pick up my lines. I have to take my best decisions on traffic, every turn I'm going to place my car here.
“Speaking now, that last hour felt like five hours, just because I knew exactly what each second I had to do inside the car. And the team did a great job to communicate that to me, the spotters telling me which lines were better.
“It was just a perfect job from everybody in the team. From my team-mates, to the spotter, to the strategies, to the pit stops. It was such a smooth race from the beginning to the end, and that intensity that increased towards the end was just incredible.”
As the clock ticked down, the #31, driven by Jack Aitken, got closer and closer. With two hours to go, the #7 held a 1.8s lead. With just 45-minutes to go, and with its final pitstop complete, the gap to second-place was mere milliseconds.
The pair ducked and dived, using all their racing know-how to weave through the LMP2 and GTD traffic on the steep banking. Eventually, it was over, and the #7 car had won. Nasr credits his extensive experience with deftly navigating such a high-pressure situation.
“I would say experience is probably number one in knowing how to race all the competitors, how to race those cars, how to race at Daytona, the track getting warmer, and it's getting more difficult,” he explained.
“I could see not only myself struggling for grip, but also the #31 could struggle as well. I think that helps, all that knowledge being behind the wheel and knowing exactly what are the limits.
“The spotter did a great job, he was my best wingman, because he had the best view of everything - where the #31 was going to have a run on me, so he always advised me, pick your best line, and you have a great line into Turn 1, and I knew my braking points were pretty good.
“So, I was gonna make life harder for him, I wasn't gonna let him have a run. I gave him the outside lane, he could try that, so that part looks intense when I'm trying to defend, but it was really smooth the way I just picked my line and stuck to it. There was no abrupt movement or any hard defence.
“And that's just racing, right? That's what we do, that’s what I’m here for. We race to win, and in my point of view, it was one of the best moments of racing that IMSA has provided in the last few years.
“I have to acknowledge the #31 was really fast in those last few laps, they were probably the fastest car on the track at that point in those conditions. But it still shows in the race, you can still use your knowledge, the team’s knowledge, and all these tools to help you win.”
While the victory marked Nasr’s third in a row, it was Andlauer’s first ever IMSA win, and Heinrich’s first in the GTP class. Brought together as team-mates for the first time in 2026, Daytona was the trio’s first test - and they passed with flying colours.
Though Nasr has more experience in the category, having been a member of the team’s IMSA roster since its return to the championship's top class in 2023, he praised his team-mates for their communication and their willingness to listen, and says they had fun in the process.
“I could tell they were very eager to get in the car and get the job done,” he said of Andlauer and Heinrich. “I could see the desire in their eyes to win the race, which felt great to have that. I just needed to nurse them a little bit to be aware what are the race’s most demanding parts.
“I told them to keep the car in one piece, so look after any kerbing, the braking usage. There's no point to go out there and do one single, huge fast lap, and then you have another 20 hours to go race, right?
“They were very vocal on asking questions and asking what do we need to do at this point of the race, being very communicative out of the car when they were asking for advice.
“I always gave them my best feedback, and that's what I really enjoyed about them, because they listened all the way through, and I'm sure they were able to gather this experience that I had in the car.
“I also learned a lot with them too, which I think is great about sports car racing, because nobody wins alone in this sport. It's a team effort, and regardless of their experience and abilities that they have across different series, I didn't need to teach them how to drive.
“They are phenomenal drivers. They know what to do behind the wheel. All I need to do is to guide them through the stages of the race and what to pay attention for. Funnily enough, I even made them a list of the seven golden rules of the race. It was just great, we had fun.
“The young guys have come through the ranks of Porsche Junior all the way through to works driver status, and giving them the chance to be onboard the 963 and win their first race in the Rolex 24, I'm sure they will never forget. I will never forget that day, because I could see how excited they were when we were at victory lane together.”
With a stunning start to the season behind them, the attention of the #7 drivers now turns to the rest of the championship - and carrying the momentum of winning into the upcoming rounds.
Round two, the 12 Hours of Sebring, takes place on March 21, and Nasr says the team are already working towards scoring their second win of the championship campaign.
Last year, the #7 drivers also went on to win that race - can they accomplish the same feat in 2026?
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