There was no Danish triumph during the 24 Hours of Daytona. The 24-hour race was short this weekend. Conrad Laursen was just 5 seconds from victory.
Danish racing driver Conrad Laursen was just five seconds away from a potential victory in the prestigious 24-hour race at Daytona International Speedway.
Laursen, driving a Ferrari 296 GT3 for AF Corse, shared the car with Arthur Leclerc, Riccardo Agostini and Custodio Toledo. Despite starting near the back of the field in the GTD class, the team managed to fight back to finish in seventh place.
The result placed Laursen as the best-placed Dane in the GTD class, only eight seconds behind the winning team.
The race was marked by challenges for the Ferrari team, who struggled with a lack of speed during preparations.
"We obviously set out to win; that should always be the goal, but we knew in advance that it would be a tough race. The result is actually far better than expected," says Laursen in a press release .
Laursen highlights the strong performance, where the team managed to improve significantly over the course of the 24 hours.
– We lacked a lot of speed during the preparations and qualifying for the race, but once we got going, things started to work, he explains.
From the middle of the race until the end, the team was at the top of the GTD class.
The Daytona 24 Hours is known for frequent safety car periods and dramatic restarts, and this year's race was no exception.
Towards the end of the race, a safety car was once again sent onto the track, creating tension in the final hour.
– I think we did everything right. We cut a clean lob without any problems and without a single penalty, says Laursen.
The team took advantage of the opportunities that arose and focused on being on the front lap at the end of the race.
– The goal was to be on the front lap at the end of the race, where Riccardo (Agostini, ed.) briefly brought the car home safely, says Laursen.
– Under the circumstances, I'm really pleased and think we can be proud. A big thank you to my teammates and the rest of the team for a really strong comeback, he concludes.
