The Sebring International Raceway, located in Sebring, Florida, is one of the oldest and most iconic road racing tracks in the United States. Known for its gruelling endurance races, Sebring has a rich history and distinctive characteristics. Here are some key facts and historical highlights about the circuit:
History and Development
- Inception: The Sebring International Raceway was established on a former World War II air base, Hendricks Field, in 1950. The airbase was used for training B-17 bomber pilots.
- First Race: The first race held at Sebring was a six-hour endurance event on December 31, 1950, organised by Alec Ulmann. The race served as a precursor to the now-famous 12 Hours of Sebring.
- 12 Hours of Sebring: The inaugural 12 Hours of Sebring took place on March 15, 1952. This endurance race quickly gained international prominence and became a cornerstone of the motorsport calendar.
Track Layout and Features
- Layout: The Sebring International Raceway is known for its bumpy and challenging surface, a legacy of its airfield origins. The track layout has undergone several changes over the years but maintains its character with a combination of concrete and asphalt surfaces.
- Length: The current track configuration is 3.741 miles (6.020 kilometres) long and features 17 turns.
Key Events and Milestones
- Endurance Racing: The 12 Hours of Sebring is part of the Triple Crown of endurance racing, alongside the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona. It attracts top teams and drivers from around the world.
- International Motorsports: Sebring has hosted various international motorsport events, including rounds of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
- Historic Wins: Many legendary drivers and manufacturers have claimed victory at Sebring, including Stirling Moss, Juan Manuel Fangio, Phil Hill, Mario Andretti, and teams like Ferrari, Porsche, Audi, and Toyota.
Records and Achievements
- Lap Records: The lap record for the current configuration is held by Oliver Jarvis, who set a time of 1:41.800 in a Mazda RT24-P during qualifying for the 2019 12 Hours of Sebring.
- Most Wins: Tom Kristensen, widely considered one of the greatest endurance racers, holds the record for the most overall wins at Sebring, with six victories.
Modern Developments
- Facility Upgrades: Over the years, Sebring International Raceway has seen numerous facility upgrades, including improved spectator amenities, pit facilities, and safety measures, while preserving its historic charm.
- Motorsport Innovation: Sebring continues to be a hub for motorsport innovation, with manufacturers using the raceway to test and develop new technologies in a demanding real-world environment.
Sebring International Raceway’s combination of historic significance, challenging track conditions, and enduring popularity make it a cornerstone of American motorsport and a revered venue in the global racing community. Without further ado, let’s get stuck into this track guide to unlock the secrets of Sebring.
Turn 1
Turn 1 is a medium to fast-speed left-hander that has a completely blind apex point due to the proximity of the wall. Heading down to the corner, stick to the right-hand side of the circuit. After you pass under the Cadillac bridge keep your focus ahead to spot the end of the pit wall on the outside.
Brake around one to two car lengths before the end of the wall. The initial hit on the brakes can be hard but almost immediately start to trail brake. This will allow you to turn in early while shifting down to 4th gear. Carry a decent amount of speed into the corner. You’ll know if it’s too much as the car will just understeer. The aim is to stay tighter than you think and aim for a late apex which is just behind the black electronic board on the inside fence.
If the car has rotated properly by this stage, then get back to full throttle. As you apply throttle, remember to unwind the steering and let the car drift out to the exit kerb. The exit kerb is narrow so be careful not to run onto the dirt beyond the kerb which can unsettle the car.
Turn 2
Turn 2 is an easy right-hand short kink that’s taken flat out. Not much of a corner but it is important to look past this corner to set up the entry of Turn 3.
Turn 3, 4 and 5:
The first sequence of corners in the lap requires great use of driving technique and precision. Starting the sequence is Turn 3 which is a tight left-hand U-shaped corner. You’ll be positioned to the right of the track on entry and looking out for your braking markers.
The reference for braking here is between the 300 and 200 boards on the right-hand side, or between the first 2 solid white lines that run across the track.
Brake hard initially maximising the grip available while still going in a straight line. Also, try to maximise the engine braking and shift quickly down to 2nd gear. Trail braking will start at your turn-in point which is just as you pass the 100 board on the right. When turning in, be super gentle with the initial input to aim for a late apex.
Right at the end of the corner, there is a kerb that sticks out. This is your apex point. Aim to climb over the end of the inside kerb which helps for rotation to open up the following right-hander, turn four. Start to feed back onto the throttle progressively as you come over the curb. Don’t let the car run super wide on the exit as this will tighten the entry of T4.
Turn 4 is a very short apex right-hander that feeds into the entry of Turn 5. The key through T4 is to use the inside kerb which you will need to climb over, again aiming for the back of the kerb so that it opens up for line for the last corner in the sequence and the most important.
Use your throttle modulation to drive over the kerb as you shift up to 3rd gear. Keep to the right on the exit while keeping your momentum up. Brake for T5 just after the white and blue kerbing on the right-hand side ends from the exit of T4.
This braking zone is not hard but rather about slowing the car down enough to get the rotation to make the apex. Shift down to 2nd gear as early as you can to allow the engine braking to help. Turn in just after the gear change and aim to apex late. This will help to straighten the exit which is the key here as it leads onto a long straight. The inside apex kerb is quite high and generally unsettles the car so avoid climbing up onto it.
If you have hit the apex correctly you’ll find you will reach the exit kerbing roughly 2 car lengths before it ends. Anything sooner than that and you know you’ve hit the apex and got on the power too early.
Turn 6 (Big Bend)
A flat never-ending right-hand bend. From the exit of T5 stay right and use the shortest distance possible as you navigate the bend. Only start to move over to the left when you see that the darker piece of tarmac transitions into a lighter grey tarmac.
Stay to the left of the road for the remainder of the straight as the next corner will be the hairpin which starts with a right-hand turn.
Turn 7 (Hairpin)
Heading into the hairpin, keep your eyes focused ahead as you cross under the Mobil 1 bridge. Your braking reference is the first solid white line that runs across the track. Just after the line, brake hard in a straight line while also aiming to abuse the engine braking by shifting as quickly as possible down to 1st gear.
Start to trail brake and turn in roughly 2 car lengths after the 100 board. Use the brake modulation to get the car to rotate while using exponential steering inputs as you get closer to your apex. Nearing your apex use all of the inside kerb but avoid getting your inside wheels onto the yellow sausage kerb which will cause TC intervention and traction loss.
Once the car has rotated and you have caught the late apex, ease back onto the power progressively and aim to cut the kerb on the left-hand side. It’s very easy to get a snap of oversteer here so again be very progressive with the throttle inputs.
Turn 8 and 9 (Fangio)
After the hairpin exit Turn 8 is a right-hand bend which is taken at full throttle. It’s easy to navigate but be sure to keep your steering inputs smooth to avoid any excess scrubbing of the front tires.
Similar to T8, Turn 9 is a full-throttle left-hand bend. Again avoid any erratic inputs on the steering and use the shortest line possible through both bends to gain lap time.
Turn 10
Turn 10 is your next hard braking zone. It’s a tight right-hand turn which feeds into a very long left-hander. Approaching the corner, position the car over to the left. Spot your braking reference early, it is the solid white line just before the 300 board.
Brake hard initially and shift down to 2nd gear quickly. Start to trail brake and turn in just as the blue and white kerbing on the outside starts. Aim behind the inside kerb for a late apex. At the apex, you can use a touch of instead kerb to get a little more rotation and then ease back onto the power. The exit is bumpy which will affect your traction out the corner. Balance your throttle and steering and avoid getting snaps of oversteer on power.
Turn 11 (Collier)
T10 quickly feeds into the entry of Turn 11 which is a long left-hander taken at full throttle. From the exit of T10, you should be entering T11 on quite a tight line. Avoid the 2 apex kerbs of the corner as they will unsettle the car. Rather come close to them and use the shortest line through the whole corner.
Turn 12
Turn 12 is a short right-hand kink before the hard braking zone of Turn 13. Don’t apex the kerbing of T12 but rather let the car run to the outside of the track to open the entry for Turn 13.
Turn 13 (Tower)
Turn 13 can be a bit of a handful. It’s a tight 2nd gear right-hand turn that’s quite bumpy on entry. Rather than focusing on your entry speed, focus on your exit speed.
There is no real braking reference, so rather try to gauge it by when the car gets parallel to the solid white line running along the edge of the track on the outside. Brake hard and shift down to 2nd gear. Just after reaching 2nd gear start to trail brake and turn in. Control the car over the bumps as you feed the front end in.
Aim to slightly cut the inside kerb while progressively getting back on the power. Balance the car with the throttle and steering on the exit. The exit also has some bumps which can catch you out when opening up the steering. Try to feel the grip here and apply more throttle according to the grip available. Open up your steering the more throttle you have, and let the car run out to the exit kerb. The exit of T13 is important as it leads onto a straight and potentially overtaking opportunity into T15.
Turn 14 (Bishop)
An easy left-hand bend that is taken flat out. Come close to the inside blue and white kerbing at the apex but don’t cut it. Climbing up the kerb will unsettle the car and likely end up in you spinning out.
Turn 15
A relatively high speed right into left, S-bend. It leads straight into Turn 16 and onto a long straight. Precision and patience are key here. Starting the sequence, place the car over to the left. The braking reference is the 300 board on the left. From 5th gear brake hard initially and gear down to 3rd. Start to trail brake and turn in between the 200 and 100 boards.
Aim to cut the inside kerb, using your outside wheels to the apex while keeping them on the blue and white kerbing. Don’t carry in too much speed as you’ll pick up too much understeer and this will tighten your entry line for the following left-hander. Get back on the power just as you apex the right-hander.
Let your momentum carry you towards the inside of the next corner. Again aim to cut the inside kerb. Getting your inside wheels to drop inside the kerb will shorten your line and help open your entry line for Turn 16. As always on the sim, optimising track usage is very important. You might need to lift off the throttle slightly here with the direction change in the GTE car.
Turn 16 (Le Mans)
Turn 16 up next and the braking zone comes quickly at you as you exit T15. T16 is a medium-speed right-hand turn which leads onto the last long straight and into the last corner of the track.
Braking can be a bit tricky to gauge as there are no real on-track markers. Roughly a car length after the kerbing ends from T15 there are some darker patches of tarmac that you can use as a reference. Use all the road on entry here so get the inside wheels to be as close to the solid white line on the outside as possible.
Shift down to 3rd gear quickly in what is a very light braking zone. As the shift is done, start to turn in while lightly trail braking.
You want to aim to cut the inside kerb and get close to it when the inside marshal post is visible on the right-hand side of your windscreen. Keep your outside wheels on the kerb and be patient with getting back onto the throttle. The key is to wait for the car to rotate completely so that you can get back on the power more aggressively and maximise your speed down the straight.
Let the car run out wide to use the exit kerb. My only concern would be to let the car run past the kerb and onto the dirt which is a lot easier to do than you think. A good exit here can set up a potential overtake into the last corner.
Turn 17 (Sunset Bend)
Turn 17 is the final corner and is known to be where the sun hits your eyes during sunset conditions, hence the corner name, sunset. It’s a long right-hander and is extremely bumpy.
On approach keep left and spot the 200 board on the left. You’ll want to turn in at around the 200 board and brake into the corner once you reach the 100 board. You’ll want to carry speed into the corner so don’t brake massively hard. Let the car run out to the solid white line on the outside of the corner as you shift down to 3rd gear.
Just after your last gear shift start to trail brake and bring the car slowly to the inside of the corner. You’ll be aiming to apex at the Mobil 1 banners on the inside of the wall just under the bridge above. It’s the last part of the wall that sticks out as you go under the bridge, so a nice late apex. Again be patient on the tottle so that you don’t pick up understeer on exit. Once you feel the car grip up and it’s rotated, feed the power back on and start to unwind the steering.
Use the exit as needed to maximise your run down to the line to complete your lap.
With that, it concludes our lap of Sebring International Raceway.
