The 64th running of the Daytona 24 Hours was won by the #7 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963. Julien Andlauer, Felipe Nasr and Laurin Heinrich were all outstanding. But the drivers of the winning car were far from the only ones to leave a lasting impression on a race heavily shaped by a lengthy 6h33 interruption caused by persistent fog.
Daytona is a race like no other. As is so often the case, it is the driver entrusted with the final stint who tends to stand out, because everything is decided after the last restart. That was even more true this year, with the extraordinary overnight stoppage disrupting the usual flow of the race.
As a result, it is particularly difficult to fairly assess the performances of, for example, NASCAR star Connor Zilisch (Action Express Racing Cadillac #31) and Cadillac Formula 1 reserve driver Colton Herta (Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac #40).
Taking that into account, which drivers truly caught the eye?
Felipe Nasr
#7 Porsche Penske Motorsport (GTP)
At the finish, it was all about him. Like Helio Castroneves (2021–23) and Peter Gregg (1973–76, excluding 1974), Nasr claimed a third consecutive Daytona 24 Hours victory. And, just as in the previous two editions, he was entrusted with the decisive final stint – the one where everything is on the line.
“I couldn’t sleep in the morning, so I was like, OK, I’m going to turn on the onboard and just watch and see how it’s going, listen to the radio, and what I’ve witnessed there, what he was doing in the car, this is incredible,” team-mate Heinrich explained. “This is not something you see every day. I’m much more relaxed because I know who’s going to be in the car at the end and do the job, and he’s proven it once again today.”
The former Sauber F1 driver fended off relentless pressure from Jack Aitken (Cadillac #31) during the final hour without putting a foot wrong.
“The driving that he’s done for us and at the end there, probably one of the best drives I’ve seen,” added Roger Penske.
Given the sheer number of champions ‘The Captain’ has witnessed over the years, that praise speaks volumes.
Laurin Heinrich
#7 Porsche Penske Motorsport (GTP)
Pressure appears to have no effect on him whatsoever. A GT graduate and just 24 years old, Heinrich has all the attributes of a future endurance racing star. He was consistently among the fastest drivers on track, all while avoiding any costly mistakes.
Sometimes punished in the past for over-enthusiasm, Heinrich has nevertheless been one of the global GT3 benchmarks for the past two seasons. His 2024 IMSA GTD Pro title with AO Racing’s #77 Porsche 911 GT3 R ‘Rexy’ is proof of that. Such has been his impact, in fact, that he has overtaken DTM champion Thomas Preining in Porsche’s internal hierarchy of GT drivers being considered for Hypercar promotion.
This was only his second race at the wheel of the 963, and in endurance racing’s top class. He already looks well on his way to asserting himself at the next level.
Jack Aitken
#31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac (GTP)
He threw everything at Nasr in the closing stages in an attempt to seize the lead. Cadillac’s 2026-spec V-Series.R appears to be a very solid package, but even with its new Evo kit, the Porsche was simply too quick – and Nasr too strong.
Still, Aitken once again proved that he is the new standard-bearer for Action Express Racing. Well-supported by Earl Bamber, he will undoubtedly be a title contender. Temporary stand-in Fred Vesti also impressed, showing just how complete an endurance driver he has become.
It is easy to see why Cadillac and Jota Sport opted to give Aitken a full WEC/IMSA double programme, with the Briton set to replace Jenson Button in the #38 V-Series.R in the World Endurance Championship.
Alex Palou
#93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian (GTP)
This is a man who can drive anything – and should we really still be surprised? It is rare to see a part-time driver used so extensively compared to full-season entrants.
Aboard Meyer Shank Racing’s #93 ARX-06, only Renger van der Zande logged more mileage. And even then, the Dutchman spent much of the night circulating under safety car conditions.
Credited with the second-fastest race lap behind Matt Campbell (Porsche #6), Palou completed no fewer than 169 laps. He was every bit as impressive as he had been last year in the same car, and the year before in the Cadillac V-Series.R. His IndyCar rivals have been warned.
Alex Quinn
#04 Crowdstrike Racing by APR (LMP2)
Some questioned his appointment as Peugeot’s Hypercar test and reserve driver at the end of 2025. But anyone among his critics who watched the Daytona 24 Hours will surely have had to rethink their stance.
The 25-year-old Briton was so impressive that Algarve Pro Racing entrusted him with the crucial final stint, ahead of Malthe Jakobsen – widely regarded as one of the very best LMP2 drivers in the world. Quinn delivered, holding off 2025 champion Tom Dillmann to secure victory for the Portuguese team.
So far, every Peugeot Sport reserve driver has been promoted to a full-time seat after a year on the sidelines. If Quinn continues on this trajectory, the French manufacturer may have little choice but to follow suit again in 2027.
Tom Dillmann
#43 Inter Europol Competition (LMP2)
The announcement of Ford’s first three drivers for its Hypercar programme was a major talking point at Daytona. One question kept coming up repeatedly: how can a driver like Tom Dillmann still be without a seat in the top class?
In two years with Inter Europol Competition in LMP2, the Frenchman has won the IMSA title, claimed victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours, and finished runner-up in the ELMS twice.
His performance at Daytona did nothing to change the perception. With two stints completed, only two LMP2 drivers logged more mileage.
Late in the race, the former GP2 driver even managed to slightly reduce the gap to Quinn, despite the latter benefiting from a marginally lighter car thanks to Algarve Pro Racing’s risky but ultimately successful strategy.
Maro Engel
#75 75 Express (GTD Pro)
The #75 75 Express Mercedes-AMG GT3 finished just 2.2 seconds short of preventing Paul Miller Racing’s #1 BMW M4 GT3 from taking GTD Pro honours. But Engel’s performance deserves particular recognition. The Monaco-based driver remains one of the most underrated competitors in the GT paddock.
Teamed with double IndyCar champion Will Power, Australian Supercars champion Chaz Mostert, and team owner Kenny Habul – an FIA Bronze-rated driver – Engel played a pivotal role in securing a GTD Pro finish that, though not a win, qualifies as a major achievement for this quartet.
Unsurprisingly, he was the most heavily used driver in the car, completing 206 laps.
Philip Ellis
#57 Winward Racing (GTD)
Relatively unknown to many, the double IMSA GTD champion was not necessarily the outright fastest driver in Winward Racing’s #57 Mercedes-AMG GT3 – as he shared the car with Lucas Auer.
However, the way Ellis defended his position against Nicki Thiim (Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 #44) was one of the standout moments of this 64th edition. Thiim, after all, has won just about everything there is to win in GT racing and remains one of the discipline’s global benchmarks.
In the end, Ellis was the key architect of Winward Racing’s third class victory at the Daytona 24 Hours.
This is a formidable team that has also claimed overall victory at the Spa 24 Hours, and which is likely to attempt – possibly with Max Verstappen – to win the Nürburgring 24 Hours for the first time in its history this coming May.
