After the nightmare of Qatar, Cadillac seeks redemption at Imola

We left the Cadillac-JOTA team with a bitter feeling last February in Qatar. Bitter, because the American manufacturer – now partnered with the British team – had a great opportunity to win on the Losail track. At the start of the race, the two gold V-Series.Rs were even leading the 1812 km Qatar… before the two American Hypercars collided at the restart of the first Safety Car, with an incredible and costly misunderstanding between the leader Jenson Button (No. 38) and Alex Lynn (No. 12). A collision which ruined the Anglo-American team's hopes of victory, which had to settle for 8th place for the No. 12 Cadillac.

Two months later, the disappointment has been swallowed and Cadillac-JOTA is back on the attack. WEC with renewed optimism. Aware of the potential of the V-Series.R, especially with the pace shown in Qatar at the start of the season, the new association intends to rectify the situation and play at the front this weekend, during the 6 Hours of Imola. On this emblematic and oh so technical track, an old-style circuit with changes in relief and natural run-offs (grass, gravel), Cadillac took care to carry out two days of testing on the Autodromo Dino e Enzo Ferrari ahead of the Italian meeting.

Cadillac prepared Imola… with Le Mans in mind

During these two days of testing, which took place in changing weather conditions (as during the 2024 race), the Anglo-American team was able to collect a wealth of data to best prepare for the challenge that Imola offers. The objective: to optimize the car's settings to better navigate the track, which combines high-speed straights, tight chicanes, and changes in elevation. “Overall, [Imola is] a very different challenge. There were some good gains during the test, says Sébastien Bourdais, driver of the No. 38 Cadillac. The car was much more docile, predictable and had much better pace, so that's encouraging. I'm looking forward to getting behind the wheel and seeing what we can do after a pretty strong first weekend that didn't end the way we wanted. We'll keep digging and see what we can achieve."

“During testing at Imola last month, we experienced both wet and dry conditions, which allowed us to continue learning the car on a new track and in changing conditions,” said Norman Nato, who is competing in the sister car, the No. 12. “It’s an iconic track, an old-school circuit with little run-off, gravel traps, and big kerbs. Traffic management is always tricky. There were lots of fans throughout the weekend, and I’m looking forward to racing at Imola for the first time with the Cadillac V-Series.R.” More than two years after the V-Series.R's debut in the WEC, Cadillac is still chasing its first victory in the World Championship.Endurance...

The start of the European tour coincides with the first preparations for the big event of the season: the 24H of Le Mans, which will take place in two months, on June 14 and 15. Although Imola is a track that is difficult to compare with Le Mans – Spa-Francorchamps (May 9-11) will already be more representative – the Italian meeting will allow teams to fine-tune their preparation on an operational level. “The development of the new Cadillac-JOTA partnership is still in its early stages. We are making good progress every time we are on the track, assures the Cannes residentWe are all working hard as a team. We continue to strive towards our goal and prepare for Le Mans in June."

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