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WEC at Spa: Another consistent run by Cadillac

No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R places fifth; sister car retires early following incidentFRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (April 29, 2023) — Reliability again proved to be key for the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R as the entire team learns the ins and out of Hypercar class racing in its maiden FIA World Endurance Championship season.Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook combined to drive to a commendable fifth place in the 13-car Hypercar field in the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. Through three rounds, the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R has placed a consistent fourth, fourth and fifth.
Taking the green flag under a lingering mist on the 7.004km (4.35-mile), 20-turn road course, Bamber moved up one position from his qualifying spot on the first lap and remained in the top four throughout his stint. Bamber gave way to Lynn just after the halfway point of the race and the No. 2 Cadillac continued to turn consistent lap times as it stalked the leader.
Westbrook climbed in the car during a safety car period and brought the car home over the final 1 hour, 27 minutes of more changeable weather conditions. The pole-sitting No. 7 Toyota Gazoo Racing entry won the race.
A strong start for the No. 3 Cadillac V-Series.R came to an abrupt end with 4 hours, 30 minutes left when the racecar driven by Renger van der Zande came off the right-hand curbing hard through the high-speed Eau Rouge corner, spun and slid up the track into the barrier. Van der Zande was checked at the infield medical facility and cleared.“It was an up and down weekend for the 3 car,” said Mike O’Gara, No. 3 Cadillac V-Series.R strategist and director of operations for Chip Ganassi Racing which runs the car. “We came here with a brand-new car, then had some issues that the mechanics worked on all night long. Obviously, it was a very competitive car and our strategy worked well. Renger was doing a great job and (engineer) Danielle (Shepherd) made a great selection on tires. We were just putting in laps, cruising and then unfortunately had a bit of an issue at the most critical, highest-loaded part of the track that ended our day.”
Three other Hypercars retired from the race.
The No. 3 Cadillac V-Series.R, which was making its WEC debut as a warm-up for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, qualified a solid fifth in the Hypercar field with Sebastien Bourdais behind the wheel. Van der Zande was running second when the incident occurred.
Both drivers will next drive the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R in the 2-hour, 40-minute IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race May 12-14 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterrey, California.
Cadillac Racing is preparing for three Hypercar entries in the centenary 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 10-11. The Nos. 2 and 3 Cadillac V-Series.Rs will be joined by the No. 311 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R co-driven by Pipo Derani, Alexander Sims and Jack Aitken. Cadillac last competed in the iconic endurance race in 2002.
Aitken, who competes in the IMSA endurance races in the Action Express Racing-prepared car, was brought in as the third driver of the No. 3 Cadillac V-Series.R at Spa to gain additional experience behind the wheel of the Hypercar. He drove an LMP2 car in his Le Mans debut in 2022.
No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.REarl Bamber: “We decided as a team what to do and we split the cars and we took wets. If it stayed green, it definitely was the right call but the safety car, so we got put back more than a minute. We recovered well, had great pace and the car was really good for me and my teammates.”
Alex Lynn: “It was a typical Spa day. I’m proud of the team. We had a really fast car. Again, a lot to learn but we made it to the finish for the third race in a row. Coming into Le Mans in the top five in the driver points then perfect. The car is reliable, we’re gaining speed all the time and we’re just getting better and better.”
Richard Westbrook: “Tough day but a lot learned again. Really difficult conditions with choosing the right tires. Mixed conditions and as we all know it’s difficult on out-laps on cold tires, so we did well to stay out of trouble in that respect because we saw a lot of Hypercars go off in those situations. It’s nice to get a strong finish again. A lot learned and a lot we can take forward.”  
No. 3 Cadillac V-Series.RRenger van der Zande: “It’s a tribute to the team how we were running P2 there with the right tire choice. The laps time were really good, we were cruising into the race and making sure we were taking care of the car and everything. But something went wrong in Eau Rouge and that was the end of our day. We’re still investigating to figure out what happened, but I am super lucky to be in a safe Cadillac because that was almost out of a movie scene. Jumping out of that car is a miracle and I’m quite proud that Cadillac builds such strong cars. We’ll bounce back and continue our develop as a team.”