Ferrari 296 GT3 Wins GTD Class at Sebring 12 Hours

Antonio Fuoco overcomes three drive-through penalties to take the lead on the final lap for AF Corse's first victory with the new Ferrari model.

Mar. 23, 2026 at 1:33am

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Despite three drive-through penalties in the final two and a half hours, Ferrari driver Antonio Fuoco fought back to win the GTD class at the Sebring 12 Hours for AF Corse. Fuoco passed the leading Aston Martin on the final lap to secure the victory for the new Ferrari 296 GT3 in its debut race.

Why it matters

This victory marks an important milestone for Ferrari's new 296 GT3 model, which is making its first appearance in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The ability of Fuoco and the AF Corse team to overcome adversity and still claim the win demonstrates the competitiveness of the new Ferrari challenger in the highly competitive GTD class.

The details

Fuoco was penalized three times in the final hours, first for an incident with a Ford Mustang GT3, then for a pit lane infraction, and finally for a questionable pass on the GTD Pro class Ferrari of Miguel Molina. However, Fuoco was relentless in chasing down the leading Aston Martin of Tom Gamble in the closing laps, finally making the winning pass on the final circuit.

  • Fuoco received his first drive-through penalty in the final two and a half hours for an incident with a Ford Mustang GT3.
  • Fuoco was given a second drive-through penalty for a pit lane infraction.
  • Fuoco was assessed a third, questionable, drive-through penalty for passing the GTD Pro class Ferrari of Miguel Molina through the Hairpin.
  • Fuoco caught and passed the leading Aston Martin of Tom Gamble on the final lap to secure the victory.

The players

Antonio Fuoco

The Ferrari factory driver who overcame three drive-through penalties to win the GTD class for AF Corse.

AF Corse

The Italian racing team that secured its first victory with the new Ferrari 296 GT3 in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Tom Gamble

The driver of the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 that led late in the race but was passed by Fuoco on the final lap.

Miguel Molina

The Ferrari factory driver whose GTD Pro class Ferrari was passed by Fuoco in a controversial move late in the race.

Jim Michaelian

The president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach who passed away during the Sebring 12 Hours race weekend.

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What they’re saying

“At the end, we managed to put everything together.”

— Antonio Fuoco

“It's been a Hercules effort for them to come all the way from Europe to be able to drive in the first place.”

— Thomas Preining, Porsche Driver

“The track just gets different every year, more bumps arriving. It gets fixed in places, some not. You always experience new bumps when you go off the line passing a GT. It's always a challenge at night at the end when you have to find your way through traffic and find your competitors at the same time.”

— Mikkel Jensen, United Autosports LMP2 Driver

What’s next

The judges in the drive-through penalty cases against Fuoco will review the decisions in the coming days to determine if any should be overturned.

The takeaway

The victory for the new Ferrari 296 GT3 in its debut race demonstrates the competitiveness of the car and the resilience of the AF Corse team. However, the controversial penalties handed out during the race raise questions about IMSA's officiating that will need to be addressed going forward.