Lilou Wadoux triumphs at 12 Hours of Sebring after stunning comebacks for AF Corse
- RACERS
- Mar 22
- 5 min read
Ferrari factory driver Lilou Wadoux secured her third IMSA triumph in spectacular fashion at the 2026 Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, where alongside her AF Corse teammates Simon Mann and Antonio Fuoco, the trio overcame multiple setbacks to charge back and sealed a dramatic last-lap victory.
After victories at the 2024 Six Hours of The Glen and the 2025 Motul Petit Le Mans, Ferrari factory driver Lilou Wadoux secured her third IMSA triumph in spectacular fashion at the 2026 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Sharing the #21 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 with Simon Mann and Antonio Fuoco, Wadoux played a decisive role in one of the most dramatic GTD races in recent memory, as the trio recovered from three costly penalties to snatch victory with a stunning final-lap overtake.
The result marked another milestone for the reigning IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup champion, further cementing Wadoux’s reputation as one of endurance racing’s most consistent and fast GT3 drivers.
The AF Corse lineup entered Sebring determined to rebound from the Rolex 24 at Daytona, where Wadoux and her teammates had shown race-winning pace for long stretches before ultimately finishing fifth.
BoP adjustments ahead of the second round initially posed a challenge, but the team steadily unlocked performance throughout the Sebring weekend: progress culminated in third practice, where Fuoco topped the session with a 2:00.060 lap. Fuoco also handled qualifying duties and delivered a strong 1:59.319 lap, placing the #21 Ferrari fifth in the GTD class for one of IMSA’s most prestigious endurance races.
Under sunny Florida skies, the race began at 10:10 local time with Fuoco taking the start. The Italian immediately launched an aggressive charge, climbing from fifth to third within three laps before passing Robby Foley for second. One lap later, Fuoco seized the class lead and began pulling away from Dudu Barrichello’s Heart of Racing Aston Martin.
Running more than a second per lap faster than his rivals, Fuoco built a seven-second advantage within the opening half hour while also climbing the overall classification.
The first full course yellow on lap 18 erased the gap, but AF Corse executed a clean pit stop and driver change, handing the car to Simon Mann while retaining the lead.
Mann resumed under caution and quickly became embroiled in a fierce fight with Barrichello. The pair broke clear of the GTD pack after overtaking a GTD Pro entry, trading positions before the Aston Martin eventually edged ahead on lap 33. By the 90-minute mark, Mann ran second, roughly ten seconds behind the leader. Another caution on lap 48 allowed AF Corse to rotate drivers again, bringing Wadoux into the race for her first stint.
Restarting fourth just past the two-hour mark, Wadoux wasted little time moving forward. Within two laps she overtook Russell Ward for second and began hunting down the race leader, steadily chipping away at the gap with consistently faster lap times.
Her pace brought the top three cars within one second of each other, and by the third hour she executed a decisive move to take the GTD lead.
A major accident involving multiple GT entries soon triggered another caution, allowing Wadoux to pit from the lead and hand the Ferrari back to Fuoco while maintaining track position.
Fuoco resumed control and again demonstrated formidable pace, climbing through traffic and even overtaking GTD Pro entries. By staying out during a caution cycle approaching the four-hour mark, AF Corse secured maximum Michelin Endurance Cup points for that segment.
A well-timed yellow during Fuoco’s next stop proved fortunate, enabling Mann to rejoin third before quickly reclaiming the class lead on lap 116.
As the race approached halfway, Mann maintained a steady rhythm despite some fading tyre performance, keeping the Ferrari inside the top five before handing the car back to Wadoux at the six-hour mark.
Wadoux immediately impressed again, setting rapid laps in the low 2:01 range while battling Jan Heylen and slicing through traffic. Her pace allowed the #21 Ferrari to regain multiple positions, returning to the top five as she consistently gained nearly a second per lap on competitors ahead.
After another strong stint, Wadoux handed the car back to Fuoco on lap 198 just as a long green-flag run ended with another caution.
Fuoco briefly regained the lead during pit strategy cycles and collected additional Endurance Cup points at the eight-hour mark. However, the race soon turned against AF Corse.
Contact with a GTD Pro Ford Mustang resulted in a drive-through penalty for Fuoco, dropping the Ferrari from the lead to tenth. A subsequent refueling stop under green was needed, with Fuoco further dropping down the order.
Wadoux returned to the cockpit but suffered further misfortune when the team received a second drive-through penalty for a pit-lane infringement involving too many crew over the wall. Suddenly, the Ferrari found itself outside the top ten and over half a minute behind the leaders.
As sunset fell over Sebring, Wadoux delivered a brilliant recovery drive, maintaining competitive 2:02-range lap times and climbing back into the top ten before handing the car once more to Fuoco with just over two hours remaining.
A full course yellow with 1 hour and 48 minutes remaining reshuffled the field and brought Fuoco back into contention. Restarting ninth, he began an extraordinary charge through the GTD field, overtaking multiple rivals in rapid succession.
Another caution compressed the field again, and Fuoco resumed his attack for the final 90 minutes. One by one, he cleared competitors, returning to podium contention by lap 287 while setting near personal-best lap times.
Following the final round of pit stops with 53 minutes remaining, Fuoco emerged second in class and immediately dipped under the 2:01 barrier with a 2:00.880 lap to build a margin.
Yet drama struck again when contact with another GTD Pro Ferrari resulted in a third drive-through penalty - seemingly ending AF Corse’s hopes with just 30 minutes remaining.
A late caution for the stranded Manthey Porsche however offered one last opportunity. Restarting with 16 minutes to go, Fuoco surged forward again, rapidly climbing positions; he passed Robby Foley and Albert Costa to reach second place and set off in pursuit of Tom Gamble’s leading Heart of Racing Aston Martin.
With eleven minutes remaining, the gap fell rapidly. By lap 313 the Ferrari was within striking distance, and on the final lap, prototype traffic created the decisive moment. Gamble ran slightly wide navigating GTP prototypes, and Fuoco dove to the inside, completing a breathtaking last-lap pass to secure victory.
The dramatic triumph gained Wadoux her third IMSA win and yet another highly prestigious honour following the 2025 Motul Petit Le Mans. Her consistent pace in her crucial stints kept AF Corse in contention throughout a race defined by dominant pace to overcome adversities, which saw Fuoco protagonist of the final inspired stint.
By claiming maximum points at both intermediate stages and the finish, Wadoux, Mann, and Fuoco now lead the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup standings with 25 points, holding a seven-point advantage heading into the next endurance round.
The trio will return to action at Watkins Glen for the Six Hours of The Glen on June 28, where Wadoux will aim to continue the exceptional run of endurance racing success.
