Sheldon van der Linde delivered an exceptional performance during second practice session for the 2025 IMSA Sebring 12 Hours, placing BMW Team RLL at the top of the leaderboard.
The second practice session unfolded with far fewer interruptions compared to the chaotic opening practice, where multiple incidents and red flags hampered progress for many teams.
Sheldon van der Linde piloted the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8 to a blistering lap time of 1:47.884, securing the fastest time of the session and highlighting BMW’s competitive edge heading into the 2025 IMSA Sebring 12 Hours.
Early in the session, Tom Blomqvist in the #60 Meyer Shank Acura ARX-06 GTP held the top spot with a laptime that remained unbeaten for the better part of the 90-minute practice.
However, van der Linde’s late-session surge dethroned Blomqvist in the final 15 minutes solidifying BMW’s dominance. Blomqvist eventually settled for second place with a lap time of 1:47.998, narrowly trailing van der Linde.
The Porsche Penske team rebounded from their limited running in FP1, with Matt Campbell delivering a strong performance in the #6 Porsche Penske 963 GTP. Campbell’s lap time of 1:48.850 placed him third overall, showcasing Porsche’s potential as a contender in the GTP class.
Felipe Nasr followed closely in fourth with a time of 1:48.921, further solidifying Porsche’s presence near the top of the timesheets. Dries Vanthoor rounded out the top five for BMW Team RLL with a solid lap of 1:49.024 in the #24 BMW M Hybrid V8.
READ ALSO: BMW North America’s 50th anniversary: Team RLL unveils special Sebring livery
The second practice for 2025 IMSA Sebring 12 Hours also saw strong performances from other notable teams. Renger van der Zande in the No. 93 MSR Acura ARX-06 finished sixth, while the Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.Rs, driven by Ricky Taylor and Louis Deletraz, placed seventh and eighth, respectively.
Romain Grosjean, piloting the No. 63 Lamborghini SC63 was ninth fastest showcasing Lamborghini’s potential in the competitive field. Meanwhile, Ross Gunn in the No. 23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Valkyrie faced challenges, finishing 13th overall and 2.2 seconds off the pace.
In the LMP2 class, Mikkel Jensen in the No. 11 TDS Racing Oreca 07 Gibson led the pack, followed closely by Kaku Ohta in the No. 18 Era Motorsport entry.
Drivers like Nicklas Nielsen in the #88 AF Corse Oreca 07 and Sebastien Bourdais in the #8 Tower Motorsports Oreca continued to demonstrate strong pace, setting competitive lap times that kept them in contention for class honors.
READ ALSO: Full IMSA Sebring 2025 entry list: 56 cars confirmed
Meanwhile, GTD Pro and GTD teams also took advantage of smoother running conditions to fine-tune their setups.
The GTD Pro class saw Laurin Heinrich in the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R set the fastest time, outpacing Kenton Koch’s No. 32 Korthoff Competition Motors Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo by four-tenths of a second.
The session wasn’t entirely devoid of drama; a red flag was issued with less than five minutes remaining after Brendon Iribe’s #70 Inception Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 suffered an impact at Turn 13.
The incident possibly involved Jack Hawksworth’s #12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3, which was simultaneously recorded as stopped on the timing screen. Despite the brief interruption, most teams managed to gather valuable data and make critical adjustments ahead of qualifying and Saturday’s race.
Notably, the No. 45 Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 and the No. 73 Pratt Miller Motorsports Oreca did not record times. The Lamborghini was undergoing repairs following an earlier accident, while the Pratt Miller Oreca faced mechanical issues.
The second practice for Sebring 12 Hours provided much-needed clarity for teams preparing for one of endurance racing’s most demanding challenges.
With Sheldon van der Linde leading BMW Team RLL to an impressive showing and other manufacturers like Acura and Porsche displaying competitive pace, anticipation continues to build for Saturday’s race on Sebring International Raceway’s historic circuit.
