“At the end, we have to take the positive things – we were there, we were fast, and I hope we will be back in Watkins Glen with a better result" - Lilou Wadoux delivered one of her strongest GT performances at Sebring, showcasing exceptional pace, leading multiple stints only for a heartbreaking technical issue while in contention for victory.
Lilou Wadoux delivered an outstanding performance at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, where she and her AF Corse teammates, Alessandro Pier Guidi and Simon Mann, kept the #21 Ferrari 296 GT3 in contention for a GTD class victory for most of the race. Despite an early brake issue in the first 20 minutes that put them a lap down, they made a spectacular recovery, fighting their way back into the lead until two-thirds of the race.
The first-ever Ferrari factory GT female driver was once again at the top of her game, running on par with the class’s top drivers and leading throughout most of her stints.
However, when the race entered its final three hours, a technical issue crushed their winning hopes, forcing a heartbreaking retirement.
The start of the 2025 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup has been challenging for Wadoux and her teammates. They had often been among the fastest GTD teams, including at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, the season opener, where an accident during a restart took out Pier Guidi during the night, ending their race prematurely.
The Sebring 12 Hours, the second of the five Endurance Cup rounds, was held at the notoriously bumpy and technically demanding Sebring Raceway, a circuit known for pushing both drivers and machines to their limits. Wadoux, who is contesting the IMSA endurance series in a multi-program with AF Corse as part of the highly competitive trio, entered the race with high expectations, aiming to rebound from their Daytona heartbreak.
Lilou secured her first IMSA victory in 2024 in her part-time LMP2 campaign at the 6 Hours of The Glen, and was making her second Sebring 12 Hours appearance, albeit her first in the GTD class.
The trio was already highly competitive from the start of the weekend, placing fourth in the first practice session, just one-tenth off the fastest time set by the Winward Mercedes. It quickly became apparent that AF Corse would be battling at the front of the GTD class as they steadily built speed through practice and made another statement in qualifying.
On Friday, Alessandro Pier Guidi in fact claimed pole position for the #21 AF Corse Ferrari, setting a 1:59.131 lap time, almost four-tenths faster than the #32 Korthoff Competition Mercedes driven by Kenton Koch.
On Saturday morning, the race took place under perfect weather conditions, with very warm temperatures adding to the human and mechanical challenge of one of the most demanding endurance races in North America.
Alessandro Pier Guidi took the start from pole in GTD, making a great getaway and immediately opening a small gap to Philip Ellis. Just two laps in, the first Full Course Yellow was triggered by a collision between the #88 AF Corse LMP2 Oreca of Luis Perez Companc and the #18 Era Motorsport LMP2 of Tobi Lutke, both of whom suffered damage but managed to limp back to the pits.
However, on lap 9, disaster struck for Pier Guidi as well, as a brake issue sent him spinning off the track. Luckily, he avoided contact and made it back to the pits, where the AF Corse crew performed a rapid brake change on the front left wheel. A strategy adjustment saw Simon Mann take over the car, now one lap down in P20. It was now a steep mountain to climb—but they were definitely not out of the race.
Mann pushed hard, showing that the brake issue was indeed fixed. At the one-hour mark, a major crash occurred when Charlie Scardina was put into the wall by the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac, causing heavy damage to the #023 Triarsi Ferrari. Scardina was unhurt, but the Ferrari was out, bringing out the second neutralization.
Mann gained one position and stayed out when GTD cars pitted under caution on lap 27. He later took the pass-around and pitted on lap 28, crucially recovering to the lead lap.
Immediately after the restart, Mann overtook multiple cars, moving into 12th place. He continued his charge, overtaking McIntosh, Frey, and Monk, breaking into the top 10 by lap 36.
Another FCY soon followed after Tobi Lutke’s Era Motorsport LMP2 Oreca crashed at Sunset Bend. At the restart, Mann kept up the momentum, passing the #96 Turner Motorsport BMW and eventually making his way into fifth place by lap 43 after a brilliant series of overtakes.
Another caution was triggered by multiple LMP2 incidents, prompting AF Corse to pit under caution. Pier Guidi rejoined in P7 and resumed the charge, rapidly climbing to third place with blistering 2:02 lap times.
After an extraordinary two-and-a-half-hour recovery, Alessandro Pier Guidi had brought the #21 Ferrari back to the race lead, pulling away with a 10-second gap.
At the 3-hour mark, Pier Guidi pitted, and Lilou Wadoux took over - immediately delivering a perfect out-lap that allwed her to retain the lead.
Wadoux was on fire, setting a blistering pace of 2:01.8—the fastest in GTD at that point. She extended the lead to over 14 seconds before pitting on lap 108, staying in the car.
Her stunning form continued with consistently fast laps in the 2:01s bracket, but her hard work was undone on lap 115 when a Full Course Yellow was called after Brendon Hartley crashed in the #40 Cadillac.
When the race resumed, Wadoux fought back into the podium positions following a pit stop under caution, closing the gap to the Korthoff Mercedes before eventually reclaiming the lead.
After another stellar stint, she handed the car over to Simon Mann, who maintained their front-running position.
At the halfway point, the #32 Korthoff Mercedes, driven by Kenton Koch, suddenly came to a halt while leading the GTD class, shaking up the race. Simon Mann inherited third place, just a few seconds behind Russell Ward.
Mann quickly moved into second place before the next round of pit stops, when Alessandro Pier Guidi took over once again. Pier Guidi was on a blistering pace, consistently lapping in the 2:02s, making him one of the fastest drivers in class. A penalty for the Winward Mercedes helped the AF Corse Ferrari close the gap to the race lead, which Pier Guidi reclaimed when the AWA Corvette eventually pitted.
The Italian then had a huge moment at Turn 1, going off-track but miraculously keeping the car out of the wall. He rejoined in second place, just 1.5 seconds behind the Heart of Racing Aston Martin, driven by Zachary Robichon, who had made his way through. However, Pier Guidi responded immediately, catching and overtaking Robichon one lap later with an unmatchable 2:01.7 lap time.
With the #21 Ferrari back in control of the GTD class, it was time for Lilou Wadoux to begin her third stint. On lap 224, Pier Guidi pitted with a solid lead, handing the car over to Wadoux.
Unfortunately, drama struck again—just as Wadoux exited the pits, the Ferrari suddenly came to a halt on her out-lap, stranded on track. Despite her efforts to reset the #21 car, the technical issue proved to be terminal and resulted in a heartbreaking retirement for the fast trio in the GTD class, who had led for most of the final hours.
Despite the brutal end, the #21 AF Corse Ferrari had been the team to beat all weekend. Their outstanding recovery drive after the early brake issue was a testament to their race-winning pace. Lilou Wadoux, in particular, delivered one of her strongest-ever GT races: she consistently matched the times of some of the world’s top sports car drivers, including gold- and platinum-rated racers. Beyond her raw speed, she demonstrated great consistency, running at the front of the class with confidence.
Just like in Daytona, the AF Corse team secured the most in-class points for two of the three IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup mid-race markers, still gaining valuable points for the endurance championship.
“The car was really fast in the beginning of the race and we were in a good place", Lilou commented. "The car looked really nice and since the beginning of the week, we were on the game. We knew that."
“At the end, we have to take the positive things – we were there, we were fast, and I hope we will be back in Watkins Glen with a better result", she concluded. "It’s not easy, the beginning of the season for us, but we will push and try to do good for the end of the season.”
Despite the heartbreak of a missed victory, Wadoux once again proved herself as one of the leading female drivers in global motorsport. Following her first WEC win in 2023, her first Super GT podium and first IMSA LMP2 victory in 2024, her 2025 campaign still holds massive potential for more success.
The next event, the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen, takes place on June 22—the track where Wadoux secured her maiden IMSA win last year. Now, she will aim to capitalize on her extraordinary GTD speed and fight for a another breakthrough GT victory.