WEC | Fast and consistent Cadillac, both day and night

There is confidence at Cadillac Racing after the collective testing of the Prologue which kicked off the 2024 season of the FIA ​​World Endurance Championship.

The V-Series.R showed itself particularly well in the fourth session, achieving an excellent second time, just a few hundredths behind the Porsche, but above all between Monday evening and Tuesday morning it was also the only Hypercar Class car to always close in Top5.

And it must also be said that the trio formed by Alex Lynn, Earl Bamber and Sébastien Bourdais put together 248 passes in total, showing excellent rhythm and consistency both when darkness fell and under the sun, like the same standard bearers of LMDh #2 chassis by Dallara and prepared by Chip Ganassi Racing they underlined.

“Overall, we are quite satisfied, the car works very well and I think in both day and night conditions we are fine. Obviously there is a big difference between the two, but in any condition we seem to be very strong,” he says Lynn.

“I think the car is in a very good position at the moment, we started the year well because we also had an excellent result in Daytona in January. This year there is a little more competition, but in general we are quite satisfied and we can't wait for the race weekend to arrive.”

Bamber echoes him: “I think we are improving from an operational and procedural point of view and it seems that we are already more competitive than last year; we hope to be able to do the same in the race too. Personally I am picking up the pace because I haven't driven the car since beginning of December”.

“It's difficult to start the season, but I think from a team and Cadillac perspective we are well prepared. The guys did a good job during the Sebring and Daytona tests, and at the 24 Hours, using our sister cars. Many of the Our competitors have already done a lot of testing here, so we're playing catch-up. But it's good to have these Prologue days to find our way and get to the top.”

#2 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R: Earl Bamber

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

Bourdais, who was called to support the starting duo as it was a 10 hour race, was equally convinced: “Between night and day, with all the lights they installed here, it's as if it were always daytime. Usually you feel a little ' of difference in the perception of speed, but here it is completely the same.”

“The difference is the grip, slightly higher at night with lower track temperatures, which in general offers decent grip. We did some long-runs and obtained good wear measurements. Now we can start pushing with confidence on a slightly more aggressive set-up and see if it gives results.”

“The setups have evolved significantly differently between IMSA and WEC because the tracks are very different and you have to do a double stint much more often. Overall, thanks to what Cadillac and the Ganassi team did in the winter, and what emerged from the IMSA tests and the 24h of Daytona, I think we are in a good place.”

#2 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R: Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Sebastien Bourdais

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

The aspect of tire wear and the performance of the Cadillac should not be underestimated, also because the 1812 km of Qatar which takes place on Saturday will start in the morning and end in the evening.

Everyone at Chip Ganassi Racing is very ready to face the first challenge of the year in the World Championship, as underlined by the Team Manager, Stephen Mitas.

“We will have a competitive package. We have made some changes to strengthen some areas and there is a new strategy engineer, Elise Moury, who comes to the team with a lot of experience,” he comments.

“The core of the team is the same and for good reason, because last year they did a fantastic job. This continuity helps. The more we learn from each other, the easier it is to work together.”