Nasr Planning Return to AXR for Sebring

Photo: Mike Levitt/IMSA

Felipe Nasr is expected to return to the cockpit of Action Express Racing’s Cadillac DPi-V.R for this weekend’s Cadillac Grand Prix of Sebring after being forced to sit out IMSA’s return race at Daytona International Speedway due to contracting COVID-19.

The 2018 DPi champion was replaced by Gabby Chaves for the WeatherTech 240 at Daytona after being confirmed with the virus on the Thursday prior to the race weekend.

A statement from Cadillac, released today, states that the Brazilian is “planning” to return and is currently going through IMSA’s protocol, where he is believed to need two negative tests in order to be cleared to race.

Nasr and co-driver Pipo Derani won last year’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hour of Sebring and will be carrying that momentum heading into Saturday’s two-hour and 40-minute race.

“Sebring is a track that I really love,” Derani said. “I’ve had a lot of success there in the past. I’ve won three 12-Hours of Sebring [races] in the last four years.

“But, I think this time it’s going to be different. Instead of it being a 12-hour race, it’s going to be only two hours and 40 minutes.

“For sure, strategy is going to play a big role. It’s going to be a sprint, which at a track like Sebring, it’s never easy.

“With the success we’ve had there in the past, we expect nothing less [than a win]. Hopefully, we can finally get our championship started. There’s nothing better than winning at a track we won at last year.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John