It Took Time, but Picariello Has Come to Love Sebring
Michael L. Levitt/LAT Images/IMSA
By Dennis Krause
Alessio Picariello used to hate Sebring International Raceway.
Funny how time, and a win in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s 2025 Mobil1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, can change a driver’s mind about the old, bumpy 3.74-mile circuit made up of runways and access roads at a former World War II Army Air Force training base in central Florida.
“To be honest with you, the first time I went to Sebring, I used to hate it,” said the co-driver of the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R 992. “For me it was so different than anything else because of the racetrack, but because also of IMSA. IMSA is a lot different than what you have in Europe, especially because I was a young Silver [rated] driver, only knowing how to push, but I didn't really know about endurance racing, fuel saving, and so on. And then at Sebring, the nature of the track and the bumps… everything is a lot different than Europe.
“So it was for me, like a wake-up call, but where I really started to enjoy was, I think, in 2023, when I came with the WEC (World Endurance Championship) with the (Porsche 911) RSR, a car which I loved, and that's really how I learned first how to learn to love the track, and then I did a lot. I mean, I did a bit more in my starts in ‘24 in GTP. And that's when I really started to learn really about IMSA, the strategy and everything else.
“Coming back in ’25 and winning my first IMSA race in Sebring was really special. And yeah, last year was, let’s say, nearly the perfect race for us. We had a lot of pace and we did most of the race at the front, so coming back this year with the same team, it's nice. Obviously, it’s a new lineup. But yeah; Harry (King) and Nick (Tandy) are really fast and very experienced as well. Really looking forward to coming with Roxy this time.”
Team chemistry is an important ingredient for success in endurance racing. If Picariello is to repeat last year’s Grand Touring Daytona PRO (GTD PRO) class win on Saturday, he’ll have to do it with two new co-drivers.
Brandon Badraoui/Lumen Digital Agency/IMSA
“Yeah, last year, I was with Laurin (Heinrich) and Klaus (Bachler), two guys which I know very well. We get along very well, as well, so it was all natural, and at the end, we had a really strong Sebring race. This year, Nick, I met more or less this year. I mean, he's a Porsche [factory] driver, like I am, but we never really worked together before. So, Daytona was the first time we worked together. Harry, I knew from the past because we did the Bathurst 12 Hour in the same car that we won in class.
“So, yeah, for sure, the chemistry had to come. You need to build it, but I have to say it went very well in Daytona. We had a really good friendship and I mean, we worked really well together. Obviously, the result was not so good in Daytona, but I feel like we are on the same page and we like the same kind of car, and we have the same mindset. So, at the end of the day, it's not that difficult to work together.
“And, yeah, I mean, Harry being the first time in Sebring, but he has been testing there already twice, with AO. We have the chance that we test as much as we can. So, he knows the track really well already. He's been fast in the test, so I'm not worried at all about his pace there. I'm not too worried about this. He's part of endurance racing, right? We always have to work with different people. I'm used to it and yeah, I get along very well with Harry and Nick. So, I'm actually looking forward to a fun day.”
The Porsche Picariello and his teammates will be wheeling this weekend is a bit different from the one he drove to the win last year. The 32-year-old Belgian, who resides in Italy, claims he hasn’t noticed much difference from his handful of starts in ’25 and what he experienced earlier this year at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
“In terms of driving, you don't feel really a difference,” noted Picariello. “It’s mainly setup related, and the EVO has been made to try to make the window a little bit bigger in terms of setup and also driving wise, because we know that the Porsche can be a little bit sometimes picky, or, I mean, a bit difficult to handle, to tame. So, in terms of driving, it’s basically nothing, but in terms of setup and what the engineer sees on data, you see a difference.
“The car has a little bit more drag as well. So especially in Daytona, it was very, very visible. But I would say on a track like Sebring, it's a little bit less and at the end of the day, it's not too far from what we have is a small package and it's also a little bit better in reliability. In the end, it’s small changes.”
Image courtesy of AO Racing
In a first for AO Racing, Roxy will be making hr endurance racing debut at Sebring. Picariello says he’s blown away by how popular the dinosaur-themed Porsches are with the fans.
“I mean, it's insane to see how many people are loving this livery, and it's getting more and more every year. So, when I got to experience it first in Daytona last year, I was amazed, and in Sebring, I feel like it's even more. So, I'm looking forward to seeing how it is this year.
“This year we will use the Roxy livery. So, it's the first time for me driving a pink car, a pink dino! The concept for sure is nice and it's good for motorsport that it attracts so many people. Every time when we have the autograph session, when you see the queue, it's absolutely crazy. So, it's nice. It's nice for us as drivers to drive such a famous car, let's say.”
Dennis Krause has spent decades covering all forms of motorsports, including over 40 Indianapolis 500s, with stints at WIBA Radio, PIT PASS - Radio’s Premier Motorsports Magazine and Motorsports Minute. Follow him on X @DennisKrause500 or motorsportsminute.bluesky.social or motorsportsminute on Threads or MotorsportsMinute+ on Facebook.