[Video] Porsche 911s battle for victory at Daytona | GRR
Sometimes, a motorsport duel is so intense it overshadows the main event, and that's the case here as Mathieu Jaminet and Laurens Vanthoor battle their Porsche 911s in the final laps for victory in the GTD Pro class of the 2022 Rolex 24 at Daytona.
With just five minutes remaining, Jaminet is in the lead as Vathoor squeezes past him on the outside. Racing bumper to bumper in a trail of carbon-fibre shards, Jaminet takes the fight back to Vanthoor, pushing him wide under braking, allowing the Frenchman to inch back into the lead.
With the finish line almost in sight, Vanthoor makes a last-ditch effort into the Le Mans chicane. But, Jaminet is wise to the plan, slamming the door closed and sending Vanthoor spinning off the track as he hands his second-place finish to the chasing Ferrari of Pier Guidi.
Speaking after the race, Vathoor said: "I guess everyone has seen the result of the 24 hours of Daytona by now. Yes, I'm still absolutely gutted; I drove my heart out and tried everything I could, but unfortunately, it was not enough. A movie keeps playing in my head, but there is no rewind button.
"A victory was the one and only thing we wanted; anything else would've been defeat. That was our approach and the way I raced. Opportunities to win big races like these don't come along very often so when it does, you have to put it all in the line. The battle I had with Mathei was exceptional; I have zero hard feelings."
Well said Vanthoor, well said.
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