Jack Aitken (Cadillac): “I don’t want to say there is a favorite”

Jack, the Cadillac has been impressive since the start of the Roar. What do you think ?

We already had the impression that the car was working quite well from the first test session last week. It makes sense because we had a year to develop the car. We have ridden this circuit several times before, so we got what we expected. And we haven't made any big hardware changes or anything to the car. It was just about optimizing things, working out the little details, getting Tom (Blomqvist) to pick up speed, but it didn't take much time. He does an excellent job. There are a few other cars that look fast too. And we know it takes a lot of luck in this race. We will see.

We know that the 24 Hours of Daytona is a long race, but what you have demonstrated since the start of the Roar, do you agree that Cadillac is the favorite?

It's going to be difficult to convince people that we're not so we're on the front line. However, if you look at where the Porsche, she was really not far from us in qualifying. I think Nick Tandy said they weren't working on the settings for qualifying. They are focused on racing, which is a good thing. And I think it will be very close between us. BMW looked a lot stronger this year too. So I don't want to say that there is a favorite, neither us nor the others. The race will be very different with warmer conditions. From the first test session today we saw that the car behaved very differently from the Roar. We have to adapt a little. We are not going to make big changes before the race, but small adjustments. The heat will make the race much harder physically for the drivers. The tires will also suffer a lot.

Do you think some teams, like Acura, have been hiding their game until now?

It has become difficult to hide performance. For our part, we just keep the car moving. My opinion is that if you try to play this, you end up losing in the end. So we keep it very simple. In my opinion, most other teams have the same point of view. But it is not impossible. Of course, there are basic things like fuel level with which you can play. We will therefore see everyone's true pace in the race quite quickly. The Acura was very strong throughout last year. They certainly did a good job. We therefore cannot rule them out for the race.

Your role has evolved in the team over the year, now with a full-time starting role. What does this mean for you?

Just a few things. The good thing is that last year they already treated me with a lot of respect, including me in the team. Pipo is still my teammate, but I have a little more responsibility, let's say, and there's more work to do. I'm going to go to a lot of tracks that I've never been to before. So I'm very excited. It will be enjoyable, but it will definitely be a challenge. I already felt pressure last year because I wanted to make a good impression and to fight in the top category with the GTP is incredible. All the drivers want to be here. So, no, I feel at the same level that I have always imposed on myself.

What are your goals for this season?

I would like to win the biggest races like Daytona. Sebring too, which we already won last year. Little Le Mans Also. I would also like to win the championship. Pipo has already won it twice, but for me it would be something huge. We know the team and the car are capable of it. It's up to us to perform and execute everything perfectly.

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