According to https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/sebring-delivers-strong-performance-from-manufacturers-teams-michelin-tires/, the 74th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring was a proving ground for Michelin’s latest racing rubber under some of the toughest conditions in endurance motorsport.
IMSA reported an all-time attendance record as a 58-car field tackled the famously abrasive Sebring surface across multiple classes. The event stressed tires from the drop of the green flag to the checkered, with long stints and changing track temperatures demanding both pace and longevity.
At the center of Michelin’s story was the Pilot Sport Pro racing tire, which made its competitive debut earlier in the 2024 IMSA season. At Sebring the compound showed the traits teams want in a 12-hour race: quick initial grip, consistent lap times, and the ability to remain effective deep into a stint.
That latter point carried particular weight in the GTD and GTD Pro classes. Michelin highlighted its double stint capable technology, meaning teams can run a tire for extended mileage, effectively doing two stints without a change. For endurance racing, that translates to fewer pit stops and more flexible strategy when traffic and fuel windows become decisive.
Lexus driver Jack Hawksworth underscored the tire’s performance by setting a new qualifying lap record, a result that drew direct praise for the rubber under his car. The record was an emphatic demonstration of grip and stability at speed, qualities teams need from qualifying through to the late stages of a long race.
GTD and GTD Pro combined for 34 of the 58 entries, so the tire’s success in those categories had an outsized impact on the weekend. Michelin’s Director of Motorsports, Jason Anzalone, pointed to the company’s parallel focus on the sportscar top tier and on the production-based GT categories, noting Michelin’s commitment to the newly added GTP class while continuing support for GTD teams, and welcoming Lamborghini’s SC63 into the mix.
Sebring was a useful barometer. The Pilot Sport Pro’s consistency and durability under 12-hour conditions reinforced Michelin’s standing in endurance racing, where a tire must deliver repeatable performance over long stints as much as outright lap speed.
The WeatherTech Championship moves on, with the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach scheduled for April 20, giving teams a very different challenge on a tight street circuit after the all-out test that Sebring provides.
