Wickens after his first Corvette test: "Like a kid at Christmas"

It was during a test session organized on the Sebring circuit after the 12-hour race held last weekend that Robert Wickens was able to test the Corvette Z06 GT3.R of the DXDT Racing team. The Canadian, seriously injured during a round ofIndyCar at Pocono in 2018 where he lost the use of his legs, will compete this season in the five sprint rounds of theIMSA in the GDT category with the American team. To do this, he will drive a car with a steering wheel braking system specially adapted by Bosch and Pratt Miller.

« So far I feel like a kid at Christmas, Wickens exults. There's been a lot of work so far. Yesterday, I got to experience the Corvette Z06 GT3.R just before lunch. I did a few laps, we stopped for lunch, and we resumed in the afternoon. »

Wickens will partner Tommy Milner

The system used in the Corvette is similar to the one Wickens used in recent seasons in the Michelin Pilot Challenge with HyundaiA championship in which he won the title in 2023 driving an Elantra TCR from the South Korean manufacturer alongside Harry Gottsacker.

« What I remember most is that I feel like the Bosch braking system and the hand controls developed by Pratt Miller have their place in his car., Judge Wickens. There wasn't a single issue. I immediately felt much more comfortable with the brake feel than I had in my past TCR races with the Bosch EBS (Electronic Brake System). This is a huge step forward, so hats off to all the men and women at Bosch, Pratt Miller, General Motors, and DXDT Racing for their collaboration in making this all possible. »

Robert Wickens' Corvette debut is scheduled for April 12th at Long Beach. The 35-year-old will be teammates with the two-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Tommy Milner (2011 and 2015 in GTE Pro). “ So I've already asked him loads of questions about the car and it's going to continue., Wickens admits. I hope he doesn't get tired of me too soon, but I'll definitely lean on him. I'm still trying to learn what the car likes and how it likes to be driven. »

"I wanted to get in the car as soon as possible."

« I wanted to get in the car as soon as possible, Wickens concedes. SIf there had been a way to drive the car at Petit Le Mans last year, I would have done it in a heartbeat. Same thing for Daytona and same thing for last weekend at Sebring, but good things take time. I respect the fact that you can't rush something like this. It has to be done properly because this is also the product I now have to use for the entire 2025 season. If you don't have a solid foundation, you risk failing. Although I pushed to try to accelerate the schedule as much as possible, it was very clear that we weren't going to do the first two endurance races. That said, the original plan was to start at Laguna Seca, and we managed to start at Long Beach. That's a victory in itself. »

While this return is only part-time, Wickens is aiming for much more. I think this is a big step. To be officially fulfilled, I want to be a full-time competitor in IMSA. Honestly, taking the green flag at Long Beach will be a huge step forward in my career and my return to the highest level. I want to win championships for myself, for General Motors, for DXDT. There's still work to be done, but it's safe to say this is a huge box to check, probably the biggest box we've been able to check so far as part of my comeback. »

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