How Jota helped transform Cadillac’s factory WEC programme in 2025

Cadillac had big ambitions when it entered the World Endurance Championship for the first time in 2023 with the V-Series.R. Returning to the Le Mans 24 Hours was a major moment for the General Motors brand, which was eager to write a new chapter at the sharp end of endurance racing following its disastrous stint with the Northstar LMP from 2000-2002.

But while its new LMDh prototype was quick off the blocks in IMSA’s rebranded GTP category, the same car was struggling to finish anywhere near the front in the WEC. A third-place finish at Le Mans in 2023 was a big achievement, yet by the end of its sophomore WEC season, Cadillac had little else to show for its efforts.

That led to Cadillac parting ways with Chip Ganassi Racing after just two seasons in both WEC and IMSA and forming a new Hypercar partnership with Jota for 2025. Although Jota lacked previous experience running a factory programme, its pedigree in LMP2 and its two seasons operating the Porsche 963 as a customer team proved it was more than capable of stepping up.

The reaction to Cadillac’s switch was overwhelmingly positive across the paddock, and drivers and team members appeared genuinely enthusiastic for the new collaboration.

A promising start

The expectation was that Jota’s arrival would immediately lift Cadillac’s competitiveness, but not many predicted just how quickly the partnership would click. After a fortuitous safety car, the two Hertz-liveried Cadillacs led the season opener in Qatar, showing what the partnership was capable of.

That Jenson Button and Alex Lynn collided at the restart while running first and second was a significant blow, but there was no taking away from the fact that Cadillac was now a serious contender in the WEC.

Jota team principal Dieter Gass was quick to downplay the significance of the squad’s performance in Qatar, but did admit that at least a podium finish was within reach in the 10-hour enduro.

“We certainly did well in Qatar, but I don’t think you can say that we were the strongest team — even if we didn’t have this problem with the restart between our two cars, where we were in the lead,” Gass told Motorsport Germany.

“I don’t think we would have had the performance to beat a Ferrari. Maybe on the podium, but we wouldn’t have been able to win on our own.”

What Jota achieved in Qatar already surpassed anything Cadillac had experienced with Ganassi.

But Gass refused to draw any comparisons between the two teams, insisting Jota’s focus at the start of the year was to gain a better understanding of the car.

“We don’t compare ourselves to what happened before. We look at ourselves,” he said.

“That was certainly a good start, even if we were still at the beginning of the learning curve because it was all new. 

«In that respect, we were still relatively far away in Qatar. Also understanding of the car, of course. That has all changed significantly over the spring season.”

Adapting to the Caddy LMDh

While both the Porsche 963 and the Cadillac V-Series.R are built to LMDh regulations and feature the same-spec hybrid system, Gass insisted the transition wasn’t as straightforward as some had expected.

“It’s just a completely different car,” he explained. “It’s a car, although according to the same regulations, with similar core data, but built quite differently.

“The behavior is different. And that’s why you really have to experience and learn a lot of new things first.

“It certainly helped that we have already driven two seasons in the Hypercars. But in detail, the difference is big. And we know how real performance in motorsport is done in detail. So you have to adjust it again.”

Sao Paulo the highlight of the year

Cadillac’s performance ebbed and flowed in line with the BoP adjustments applied throughout the season. But when things were in its favour at Sao Paulo, it pounced on the opportunity to score a dominant 1-2, with Alex Lynn, Will Stevens and Norman Nato leading the way in the #12 V-Series.R. 

“There are two things to consider,” said Gass. “On the one hand, there are tracks where we struggle with the car. Imola is certainly the one that is the most difficult for us. That is not necessarily the track for which the car is best suited. That’s one thing. 

“The other thing is that the car is really good when it drives in clean air, and that was the case in Sao Paulo. Then we drove away at the front and were able to hold on to the front well. Fuji, also, in some phases. Unfortunately, the safety car spat us in at the wrong moment, which also partly led to the results being not as good as they could have been. 

“But the car is as it is at the moment. Very good when it drives alone without another car in front of it. And as soon as you have another car in front of you, like dirty air, that makes it difficult to overtake, even if you theoretically have the pace.”

Qualifying strength

#12 Cadillac Hertz Team Jota Cadillac V-Series.R: Alex Lynn, Norman Nato, Will Stevens

Photo by: Andreas Beil

One area where Cadillac thrived after its switch to Jota was one-lap pace. Lynn was one of the star performers of the year in qualifying, leading three front-row lockouts at Le Mans, Sao Paulo and Fuji.

To highlight the significance, Cadillac had not even scored a pole position in the WEC during its two-year association with CGR.

Gass believes this improvement was again rooted in the car’s aerodynamic traits.

“If you drive alone and don’t have a car in front of you, then the car is strong and good,” he said. “You have to say that Alex also contributes to this, who is also extremely strong in qualifying for one lap.

“We also have a good set-up for him in qualifying, which you then retune a bit in the race when the others are also in the car, because he prefers a different balance than the others. You have to compromise a bit in the race.

“I think these are the main points. Because if you qualify in front and drive in front, then the pace is usually good. 

“I wouldn’t say that the car is stronger in qualifying than in the race.”

Achieving targets

Lynn, Stevens and Nato ended up fifth in the drivers’ standings on 93 points, while Button, Earl Bamber and Sebastien Bourdais were classified 10th in the #38 entry.

Meanwhile, Cadillac finished the year fourth in the manufacturers’ race, just behind the championship’s big three – Ferrari, Toyota and Porsche. Just seven points separated Cadillac and third-placed Porsche, while Toyota was only six more points clear in second.

This was a marked improvement from 2024, when it languished in seventh place in the standings on just 42 points.

Asked if Jota has achieved all its goals for the year, Gass said: “Of course, goals are moving here somehow. If you start well, you might want a little more. 

“But I think if we were to sit here now in 2024 and we would talk about what the goals are, what I would have imagined there, I can already say that we have achieved [them].”

He added: “You can’t complain. I think we’ve seen a strong upward trend over the year. We also managed to hold on to our streak, namely to win a race in the top category every year.”

Looking ahead to 2026

#31 Cadillac Action Express Cadillac V- Series.R: Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, Frederik Vesti

Photo by: Brandon Badraoui / Lumen via Getty Images

Next year Cadillac will run an upgraded car which made its first public appearance at the IMSA-sanctioned test at Daytona earlier this month.

With the Sauber wind tunnel in Hinwil no longer available, all manufacturers competing in Hypercar will have to send their cars to the Windshear facility in North Carolina over the winter. Previously, Cadillac split its WEC and IMSA homologations across the two wind tunnels, as required by the regulations.

“All [Cadillac] teams give their input [on upgrades],” Gass said, referring to Jota and Cadillac’s IMSA teams, Wayne Taylor Racing and Action Express Racing.

“We also tested and all teams were involved in the testing. It’s not like everything is cut down on us. Everyone is involved.

“The aero homologation is no longer done in Sauber [for WEC] and for the IMSA in Windshear. Everything is now done in Windshear.

“As a result, we will drive the same car [as] in the IMSA. That was not the case until now.”

With Porsche leaving the Hypercar class, Cadillac and Jota will have a big opportunity on their hands next year. If the American manufacturer continues on its current trajectory, Ferrari and Toyota will have to watch their backs in 2026.

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— The Motorsport.com Team