IMSA: PODIUM FINISH SNATCHED AWAY IN DRAMATIC 12 HOURS OF SEBRING
United Autosports at the 2025 IMSA 12 Hours of Sebring
The United Autosports USA duo secured fifth (#2) and eighth (#22) in the 2025 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring – after completing nearly 4,150 km around the infamous retired airfield in 88°F (31°C) heat, navigating 17 high-speed turns and technical corners, and multiple FCYs. As day turned to night at Sebring International Speedway, a late-race restart in the final hour snatched podium position from the Daytona-winning #22 crew.
The #2 ORECA 07 started P3 on the grid with American Nick Boulle. Boulle shared driver duties with Daytona teammate Ben Hanley and, United Autosports USA's most recent IMSA signing, Juan Manuel Correa - who made his debut in the American race car series with the United Autosports crew this weekend (read more).
Shortly after the halfway mark Correa made his official IMSA debut, holding P2 throughout his stint, before handing back to Boulle. Correa drove a double stint, followed by a triple from Hanley, running a fresh set of tyres at each stop. A fuel pick-up issue, however, shortened the final stints for the #2 ... combined with what should have been a perfect dive into the pits prior to an FCY, which would have seen the United Autosports cars cycle to the front of the field. Instead, however, the pits were opened earlier than usual, allowing the other cars, who missed the dive, to pit without losing any track position.
The #22 ORECA 07 started right alongside the sister #2 in P4, with a solid Qualifying result courtesy of Daytona polesitter Daniel Goldburg. Goldburg took the start, successfully completing a solid triple stint. The #22 dived into the pits for full service before claiming P1, going into the third hour of the race leading the pack.
At the halfway mark, it was over to Rasmus Lindh who worked hard to retain his top three position. During the fifth FCY, Lindh came into the pits for a splash of fuel and driver change to Platinum-graded driver Paul Di Resta.
With the podium in sight, racing resumed for the #22 crew. Lindh completed another full stint, handing back to Di Resta to take the ORECA 07 to the finish - before out of position GTP cars at the final restart caused chaos for the LMP2 class. Di Resta was caught up in side-by-side contact with the #11, sending the #22 into the wall at turn one. Despite the team’s best efforts – with a rapid tail change and suspension repair with less than 25 minutes on the clock – lost ground couldn’t be recovered, and what looked set to be a second consecutive podium finish in Sebring became P8.
The third round of the WeatherTech IMSA SportsCar Championship will take the team to New York State for Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen on Sunday 22nd June. First, however, it's the season-opener of the 2025 European Le Mans Series in Barcelona. Stay up to date with the team on social @unitedautosports.
Juan Manuel Correa, Nick Boulle and Ben Hanley - United Autosports IMSA drivers
#2 ORECA 07
QUALI P3 | RACE P5 | CHAMP P9
Nick Boulle: “It was a long, tough day. Obviously not the result we wanted … and I don’t candidly know yet where it went sideways. We’ll have a debrief with the team and my co-drivers, and come back stronger for Watkins Glen. I think it’s a track that will suit us, so we will be ready to race there in June.”
Ben Hanley: “A bit of a tricky race really – we seemed to make a good call on the last yellow, but for some reason it didn’t seem to pan out how it should have done with a Full Course Yellow. So we ended up losing out as opposed to, when you look at how historically the Full Course Yellow’s usually function, we should have gained positions and been P3 or P4 on the restart. Somehow we ended up P7. It’s difficult to pass around at this track, so once you’ve done the first two laps on a restart it’s hard and we ended up stuck behind someone in the end. Hopefully we will gain from the next one.”
Juan Manuel Correa: “My first IMSA race is done - we finished P5 in the end. For me personally it’s been a great weekend, it feels great to drive again and race after a very long winter. It’s been a big learning experience throughout the whole weekend with three days on track. I’m happy with the progress I made, and it felt good working with the team. I loved the racing – the style that IMSA brings, it’s very different to the endurance racing that I’ve done before. Now I’m really looking forward to Watkins Glen - hopefully we can get a better result.”
Paul Di Resta, Daniel Goldburg and Rasmus Lindh - United Autosports IMSA drivers
#22 ORECA 07
QUALI P4 | RACE P8 | CHAMP P2
Daniel Goldburg: “Tough day at the "race-office”. I did two and a half hours at the beginning of the race – it was hot and gruelling. Hats off to the Bronze guys who managed to do three hours at the beginning of the race. I had great pace, I would say one of my best drives – but it was tough. We were in the hunt for that podium place but the on last yellow it felt like IMSA rushed the restart, compared to how they usually do it – putting us in the middle of the pack, and with GTPs in the mix it didn’t end well for us. I think we’re still in a good spot for the championship, so we keep up the fight.”
Paul Di Resta: “I think we were well within the fight for a podium throughout the entire race, only to get a chaotic ending. It was a bit unlucky for our track position with the restart and came off after it went green. It’s unfortunate because we had a very good car, with a very good chance of a podium – the team were quick with pit stops and strategy, everything was perfect until the unfortunate end. I think IMSA tests your patience sometimes with how things are structured. What should have been the perfect strategy wasn’t in our favour this time. We take it and we look to the next race in Watkins Glen.”
Rasmus Lindh: “I think the overall work throughout the race was very good. We were in the top three throughout. I was pretty happy with my performance as well as the team, they did a great job in the pits. We were just a bit unlucky at the end with the last yellow, we pitted early and then they opened the pits for the rest – we should have had track position but we lost out on that, in addition to contact in the end for Paul. Other than that, it's very positive – the speed is there, we just need to keep it altogether for the rest of the year.”
MANAGEMENT
Richard Dean: “After the high of Daytona, we came to the street fight that was Sebring. We had great pace and led with both cars at various stages of the race, but the late Safety Car and being hit by so many cars took the edge off our performance and the end result. It was good to see the #2 car get a result in the end, after having had such bad luck in the opening race of the season.”
