WEC preview: Cadillac doubles its efforts for Spa battle

WECHyperCar

Apr 26

The #3 Cadillac lineup

The #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 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Sebring. #01 Cadillac V-Series.R with by Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Vande and Scott Dixon at 12 Hours of Sebring will become #3 at Spa with Jack Aitken replacing Dixon.

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.”

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Sebring. The #2 Cadillac V-Series.R, co-driven by Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook at 1000 Miles of Sebring.

The #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.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Sebring. #01 Cadillac V-Series.R with by Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Vande and Scott Dixon at 12 Hours of Sebring.

The gold #3 Cadillac V-Series.R, running as the #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 # 2 and 3 entries. “The Spa event will serve as a much-needed dress rehearsal for theLe 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 #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.

What they're saying

#2 Cadillac V-Series.R

Earl Bamber: “Really looking forward to 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. It’s one of my favorite tracks in Europe and I’ve spent a lot of time there. Won one of my first big races in Europe there in Porsche Mobil 1 Super Cup, so I really looking forward to going back there especially with this Cadillac. I think we’re making strides as a team. We’re learning the WEC and I think we’ll continue to improve. Two cars will be a challenge for Chip Ganassi Racing, but it’s all in preparation to bring three for Le Mans. Obviously for us, being year one, it’s all about Le Mans mainly because it’s our first season. You saw with the Corvette program first time coming to Le Mans there’s a lot to learn. We’ve got the true test at Spa. They say Spa is the closest representation with the downforce level ahead of Le Mans.”

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Portimão. The #2 Cadillac V-Series.R co-driven by Richard Westbrook, Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn.

Alex Lynn: “I love Spa and I think this car is going to be so much fun to drive there. The WEC races there always throw off something crazy with the weather. It’s always an amazing race with everything mixed in, so super excited for Spa and challenge for the podium again.”

Richard Westbrook: "It will be great to get back to Spa. It feels too long since I’ve been there; over 10 years actually. It’s been that long racing in America. The only downside of racing in America is missing tracks like Monza and Spa and Silverstone. Can’t wait to get our Cadillac around there. I think it will come alive. We worked hard in Portugal to sort of tune the car for a European track and hopefully bridge that gap to the Toyotas.”

#3 Cadillac V-Series.R

Renger van der Zande: "The Spa track is very technical from a driver’s perspective and the setup is crucial to set it up for the high speed because that’s where all the time is and we don’t have many tracks like that in North America -- maybe only Mosport, so it’s a good practice for that and obviously Le Mans. It’s special for me personally to drive from home in my own Cadillac, drive to Spa, have a race there so close to my home with my American team and Cadillac. It’s only about Le Mans and I think that race is a way to get into the groove of the WEC rules.”

Sebastien Bourdais: "I miss the old Spa where the grass was the limit, but the layout hasn’t changed and the challenge remains. It’s one of the coolest tracks in Europe and it’s always a tough track to get the balance right and get in the window, and that’s really important or otherwise you hurt your tires. The track is a nice rehearsal for Le Mans. It’s still somewhat specific and Le Mans remains the outlier because of the straights and the different asphalt if you compare it to Spa. A lot of guys used to run their Le Mans kit at Spa to try to understand the car better, so it was always a compromise because you’ll sacrifice the Spa weekend a little bit. There’s no consideration in Hypercar because it’s the same level of downforce wherever you go, so there’s no head-scratching with this one."

Jack Aitken: “Driving at such an incredible circuit with the Cadillac V.Series R will be an invaluable addition to our prep for Le Mans. It will be a pleasure to integrate with Chip Ganassi 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.”

Source: Cadillac Racing