WEC: Cadillac Racing expands driver roster

–Press Release–

After two strong performances as a solo, the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R will welcome its sister racecar to form a formidable Hypercar duo this week at Spa-Francorchamps.

The No. 3 Cadillac V-Series.R, co-driven by Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Vande and Jack Aitken, will make its FIA World Endurance Championship debut in the Six Hours of Spa.

The three drivers are familiar with the 7.004km (4.35-mile), 20-turn circuit that hosted its inaugural car race in 1922 and has been part of every WEC season.

“I’ve done many races there since my first season in 2004,” said van der Zande, an Amsterdam resident who has amassed 18 IMSA victories.

“My greatest memory is we finished second in the 24 Hours of Spa with a one-minute penalty at the start of the race, so it was an amazing drive with Felix Rosenqvist and Tristan Vautier as teammates. It’s special for me personally to drive in my own Cadillac to Spa, have a race there so close to my home with my American team and Cadillac.”

The No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R, co-driven by Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook, has finished fourth in each of the two rounds of the season. The first-year WEC team has advanced a total of five positions – more than twice as many as any other Hypercar entry — from its qualifying spots.

“We continue to learn with the program, and to have the strong performance that we did at Portimão gets us even more energized going into Spa,” GM sports car program manager Laura Wontrop Klauser said. “Cadillac will have two cars there, which will give us the opportunity to really get the team ready for Le Mans as well as think about strategy differently for the Spa race. We’re looking forward to seeing how everything goes at that racetrack.”

Cadillac is tied for third in the WEC Manufacturer Championship.

The gold No. 3 Cadillac V-Series.R, running as the No. 01 in IMSA, earned a podium finish in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona in January and qualified second and third in the succeeding races.

“Cadillac and Chip Ganassi Racing believe that we are stronger when we race multiple cars on any given race weekend,” said Mike O’Gara, director of operations for Chip Ganassi Racing which campaigns the Nos. 2 and 3 entries. “The Spa event will serve as a much-needed dress rehearsal for the Le Mans 24-hour race. It will be a great opportunity for our ‘IMSA regulars’ to be immersed in the WEC rules and race procedures in anticipation of the big event in June.”

The No. 311 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R will join the Cadillac stable for the centenary 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. The Action Express Racing-prepared car claimed the pole for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Twelve Hours of Sebring and went on to post Cadillac’s 28th prototype victory since 2017 and its third in a row at Sebring International Raceway with Pipo Derani, Alexander Sims and Aitken sharing the wheel.

The Cadillac V-Series.R features an all-new Cadillac 5.5-liter DOHC V8 naturally aspirated engine developed by GM’s Performance and Racing propulsion team based in Pontiac, Michigan. The body, codeveloped by Cadillac Design, Cadillac Racing and chassis constructor Dallara, incorporates key Cadillac V-Series production car design elements.

April 21, 2023

Cadillac Racing announced today an expansion of its driver roster for the upcoming Six Hours of Spa in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Jack Aitken, part of the lineup that delivered the first victory with Cadillac’s V-Series.R last month in the Twelve Hours of Sebring, will co-drive the No. 3 Cadillac at Spa with Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande.

The trio will race in the 13-car Hypercar category alongside the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R, co-driven by Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook, on the 7.004km (4.35-mile), 20-turn Spa-Francorchamps circuit for the third round of the WEC season.

“Chip Ganassi Racing is excited to have Jack join Sebastien and Renger in sharing driver duties for the No. 3 Cadillac V-Series.R at the Spa WEC race next week,” said Mike O’Gara, director of operations for Chip Ganassi Racing that runs the Cadillac Racing entry. “This is just another example of the ‘One Team’ concept that Cadillac Racing is all about. We value Jack’s feedback in the car, and hope that this strengthens the preparation for Cadillac Racing’s assault on the 24 Hours of Le Mans this June.”

In addition to going for the win, the Spa weekend presents opportunities to absorb information about the hybrid Cadillac racecar on a European circuit as Cadillac Racing prepares a three-car lineup for its Le Mans return after two decades.

“We are grateful for all the entities in this program collaborating and increasing our strengths and capabilities,” GM sports car racing program manager Laura Wontrop Klauser said.

Aitken already is confirmed for Le Mans as he will reunite with Pipo Derani and Alexander Sims in the No. 311 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R. They co-drove to a dramatic victory at Sebring International Raceway as part of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

“This further expands our opportunity to learn and work as one team going into Le Mans,” said Chris Mitchum, director of operations for Action Express Racing, which runs the No. 31 and No. 311Cadillac Racing entries across IMSA and Le Mans.

Aitken, a former Williams F1 reserve driver, competed in the European Le Mans Series in 2022 for TF Sport in the LMP2 class. He also competed in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup and ADAC GT Masters with Emil Frey Racing. He made his 24 Hours of Le Mans debut in LMP2 with Algarve Pro Racing.

“Driving at such an incredible circuit with the Cadillac V.Series R will be an invaluable addition to our prep for Le Mans,” he said. “It will be a pleasure to integrate with Chip Ganassi Racing and work together to push the Cadillac program forward, as we have a great deal of respect between us. Partnering up with Seb and Renger will be great for me personally, as I’ll be learning off two great guys.”

The gold No. 3 Cadillac V-Series.R, running as the No. 01 in IMSA, earned a podium finish in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona in January and qualified second and third in the succeeding races.

The No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R has displayed reliability and strong pace with consecutive fourth-place finishes to start its maiden WEC season. It has advanced a total of five positions – more than twice as many as any other Hypercar entry — from its qualifying spots in the two races.

Cadillac is tied for third in the WEC Manufacturer Championship.