ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA

January 26, 2025

Felipe Nasr

Nick Tandy

Laurens Vanthoor

Jonathan Diuguid

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: We have our winners of the 63rd Rolex 24 at Daytona overall and in the GTP class in the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963. From your left to right, we've got Felipe Nasr, Nick Tandy, Laurens Vanthoor, and also managing director Penske motorsports Jonathan Diuguid.

Third win for the Penske team in the Rolex. This is Felipe's 12th career IMSA victory, third win in the Rolex 24, obviously winning last year, and also in the 2022 GTP pro class.

Nick, this is his 24th IMSA victory, first overall Rolex 24 win, his second class win in the Rolex 24. He won in 2014 in GTLM.

For Laurens, this is his 11th IMSA win, first victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona; 24th overall Rolex 24 victory for Porsche.

Q. Laurens, what was the feeling that you've finally won your first Rolex 24? Is it jubilation? Relief? What's the feeling here?

LAURENS VANTHOOR: It's always very difficult to describe your feelings a couple moments after it happened. But I've been wanting this very badly for a long time and came close a couple times.

But like I just said, if you go back 10 years ago, I would have dreamed to drive in back then it was P1 then hyper cars GTP, whatever you want to call it, to drive in that category.

There's not a better brand to do so than Porsche. When I was in IMSA I always dreamed of being in those chrome trailers with Penske on it, to be part of that team. Now it's all in one, and then three months we became world champion and today win the Rolex 24. I couldn't dream of it. I don't know how to describe it.

It's dreams coming true, and extremely grateful to be sitting here and to be part of this team and these boys. Maybe tomorrow I have some more detailed emotions, but that's it for today.

Q. Nick, I believe you're the first driver to have won overall Le Mans, Daytona, Spa, and Nürburgring. What does that feel like?

NICK TANDY: I mean, to be the first person to do -- ever to do something is -- I mean, it's quite unbelievable, really. I think first of all, you've got to be proud that you've been put in a position to be able to compete in that sort of -- those sort of races, and then be in a car that can compete for the win.

But yeah, it never really dawned on me about these sort of records and stuff like this until Laurens, when we won at Spa and somebody said, well, you've got class wins in all the four majors now.

And then you kind of look into it and you see -- there's other people, legendary names on these lists who have won various things but never overall in all four. Class winners, yes.

But yeah, it's something that since that day in probably 2020, it's something that I've definitely wanted to check off the list.

Winning Daytona is a massive thing anyway as a standalone event. Don't get me wrong. I'm very proud to be sat here again. Obviously as an overall winner is special.

But yeah, like you say, to get the big four 24-hour wins -- one would be just an incredible career, so to be able to get four and a few Sebrings and a few Petits is dream come true stuff.

Q. For JD, was there a shake-up in the driver rotation during the race or was that always the plan?

JONATHAN DIUGUID: I think the plan evolves throughout the race, but I think at the end if you look back at the data all three of these guys up here were performing at an extremely high level so there wasn't a wrong choice. Obviously Felipe had a history of success so he probably got the football like they say to carry it across the finish line there and deliver it again for us.

To see that happen two years in a row and see the defense he put on for the last 30 minutes of the race is always really exciting.

It was really an epic (indiscernible) today through all phases in the middle of the night when all of us were freezing until at the end there when some of us were sweating for different reasons.

It's a really amazing race as these guys have said, and to be able to win it back-to-back is something that none of us on the team could never have dreamed of.

Q. 48 hours ago we were talking to you about some concerns with the HV system. It seems like you didn't have any issues for any cars in the race. Was there a solution or were there any concerns during the race itself over that?

JONATHAN DUGUID: All these races, they're never easy. They may look easy from the outside, but I think it takes a lot of hard work. I think I talked to a couple guys on the timing stand a couple hours into the race when it was looking pretty dire as far as our pace and where we were and how competitive we were and nobody ever really gave up.

I don't think any of our six drivers on either car ran off the asphalt today or hit anything or broke apart. That's basically what put us in a position to win. We were two of four cars on the lead lap when the (indiscernible) down there at the end. When you have a 50 percent chance to win with driver lineups like this and pit crews like we have, you see the result that we had today.

Q. JD and Felipe, how nerve-racking was that final hour where you had all sorts of challenges from the No. 6 car, the No. 24 car, the No. 60 car? How do you keep a cool head in those situations?

JONATHAN DUGUID: For me after the first pit stop that's the easiest part of the day because I just sit back and watching. Leading up to that making all the right decisions I think today was definitely a team effort.

You saw, I think -- I would love to see the stats of how many laps our cars led today, but we really used our two-car approach to make sure one of the PPM cars controlling the pace of the race and controlling our own destiny, and you even saw that in the last pit stop of different tire strategies and when we stopped and things like that, and I think that put us in a position to win and cover all these bases and attacks from the Acuras and the BMWs and the Cadillacs of the world. Every car had a chance to win today, and we are the ones that came out on top.

FELIPE NASR: Yeah, from the driver's seat for sure it's a little different. All I was thinking, I wanted to win this for sure and I wanted to win for the team.

I think I restarted third. It's always hard to know what's going to end up like, but that's what I love about the IMSA racing. It's very unexpected. So any restarts, really any car that is running in the top 5 will have a chance to be fighting for victories.

I knew the car was capable. I knew we had a great team behind us, and I've got to say, working with Laurens for the first time this weekend was very straightforward, trouble free. We all have different personalities as you can see, but very professionals, very -- I feel like JD, like no one did a foot wrong all weekend, and we're all celebrating this victory.

On a personal level, doing it back-to-back, it's incredible. Even if I say anything here, just inside, it's one for the memory for sure.

Q. Felipe, during your battle with Matt, before, during and after your battle with Matt there was about 20 minutes to go. I was just wondering was there any team chatter on the radio? Did Roger get involved or was anything said? After the race it seemed like he was a little nervous about it still after already going to Victory Lane.

FELIPE NASR: Well, it's always going to be drama, right, when you have one trophy for two cars. But I think we did the best. JD said the two cars had different strategy on tires. I took all new tires going into that final run where I think Matt had a split choice between the tire, whichever he took. I felt like I had the pace to go forward, and that's what I did.

Q. I wanted to ask you about BMW's performance in this case. They put up an amazing fight, didn't they?

LAURENS VANTHOOR: Yeah, it's quite special, actually, from a personal point of view. There was always -- see, you can see how many laps a Vanthoor led.

It's special to see my younger brother up there. He's obviously doing a tremendous job. Obviously in the end, I was like, Dries, piss off, but then I obviously feel kind of sad when it doesn't work out for him obviously because I know he dreams of it as much as I do.

But it's quite unique and difficult to put into words, but I don't want to be in the skin of our dad or mom because I think he sweated a little bit watching TV.

I thought they would be honestly -- what JD said at the beginning of the race, they were really quick and I always saw them as the main contender, and also, Dries was doing a very good job. That's for him, but his day will come, that's for sure. It was a good race.

Q. Talk about the trust that is shown in this team. This is a big race and a big championship.

FELIPE NASR: For sure. I think anyone that gets in the race car for Porsche Penske, we all get the same opportunity. I think the team comes first, and I didn't want to create any trouble or drama, but try to make a clean pass, and that was it.

I saw the Acura was pretty quick behind us, so we had to move forward somehow, otherwise we're going to be attacked from behind and maybe lose a spot or maybe lose the chance to win the race. The clock was running, so I had to go for it.

Q. Felipe, at the moment we're going on 15 years now since someone has won the triple crown of endurance races, which is the longest drought of new members since the club was formed. You've won the 12 hours of Sebring, now two times you won the 24 Hours of Daytona. Does winning here today double down your resolve to tick off Le Mans?

FELIPE NASR: Absolutely, and that's what Nick just mentioned after we got out of the podium. I asked him, I said you've got to help me win Le Mans now because those big races are extremely difficult just to be there at the end. There's so many things happening during the race. I've never seen Daytona that cold and the transition at night, the cold tires. Just surviving and staying at the track was a challenge, honestly. It was a real challenge for the drivers today.

But for sure, Le Mans is one -- is a dream, dream list of mine for sure. I'm a little jealous of Nick, in a good way, of everything he's accomplished so far. I think for sure Le Mans is the next goal, and why not do it this year.

Q. Larry, a couple years ago you were within a corner or two of winning this race and it was your teammate's car that ended up getting that win at a team you used to drive for. Is this kind of redemption for all of that?

LAURENS VANTHOOR: Well, it's crazy how things go and how passionate we are about this. I remember sitting in the car and cried the whole in lap, and now -- I didn't cry that bad but I had tears in my eyes, as well, for different reasons.

We all do these things because we absolutely love it, and we'd say besides our family, probably the most important thing in the world, and it shows how much it means to us.

In a way I think Felipe returned me a bit of favor this year for back then. Yeah, it's amazing to see how things evolve. One day I will be again on the bad side as well or the unlucky side, and one day you are the winner. That's how sports go, so I need to appreciate the good moments, as well.