Former F1 driver Sebastien Bourdais has released a powerful statement after being stripped of LMP2 class victory in the 2025 Daytona 24 Hours.
On Wednesday night, IMSA revealed that the #8 Tower Motorsports car – featuring Bourdais – had been demoted to the back due to a technical infraction.
Following a post-race technical inspection, it was discovered that the #8 car's skid block underneath had exceeded the maximum allowable wear.
Tower Motorsports did file a protest, although was denied by IMSA. Bourdais released a statement shortly after being stripped of victory and criticised the way it made the #8 team look.
"Racing can be cruel but governing bodies can be far worse,” Bourdais stated. "[Tower Motorsports] won the Rolex 24 LMP2 class.
"The rear third damper that controls rear ride height failed allowing the rear to come down too much subsequently over wearing the rear skid.
"In recent memory, IMSA always used common sense when enforcing rules that were breached by technical failure. Unfortunately, not today. I want to thank everyone in the team for their flawless execution and dedication.
"Making them look like cheaters makes me sick as they always operate by the book. I sure hope we get a chance to win more races in the future! Thank you all for your support."
The technical infraction resulted in the #22 United Autosports car being promoted to class victory, with the team including another former F1 driver – Paul di Resta.
Felipe Massa's team was also promoted to second in the LMP2 class.
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