Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA faced a challenging second round of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in Spa-Francorchamps.
The No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R, lined up on the front row of the grid in P2 for the six hour race, with Will Stevens at the wheel. The No. 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R started in 5th position with Earl Bamber taking the first stint.
The No. 12 took the race lead on the opening lap and settled into a strong and controlled stint. Unfortunately the No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R received a penalty for overtaking track limits, with five seconds being added to the pitstop, and dropped down the field. Caught up in the middle of the pack and fighting in dirty air meant a challenging second half of the race. After six hours of racing, the No. 12 took the checkered flag in P9.
The No.38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R was running well until it had contact with a GT, which resulted in a puncture. The No. 38 returned to the track but later suffered a loss of drive which resulted in retirement.
Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA heads to Le Mans for the iconic 24 Hour race and the next round of the WEC on June 13th and 14th.
What they’re saying
Jeromy Moore, Chief Engineer Cadillac Racing: “We had good pace at the start, taking the lead with the No. 12 car, showing good signs of performance and a good race outcome. However we struggled a bit with the tire degradation in the double stint and later had a retirement with the No. 38. We took a risky strategy with the No. 12 on the soft tire to try and get position back. It didn’t pay off on this occasion but we had a strong qualifying and we showed good performance in the high speed corners and on the straights, so there are a lot of good things to take with us to Le Mans.
No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R
Norman Nato: “The start of the race was good, but from the middle of the race onwards we started to drop back position. It’s not the race we expected, but there are a lot of learnings for Le Mans and a lot of positives to take away, despite the result.”
No. 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R
Sebastien Bourdais: “It was one of those weekends when everything seemed to be under control, the car was strong, the balance felt good, we had solid qualifying for both cars – so it was tough to have the retirement. Despite this, there’s a lot to take from the weekend and we will come back stronger in Le Mans.”
About General Motors
General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future.
GM Motorsports, including the Cadillac Formula 1® Team develops and proves advanced technologies in the most demanding environments, accelerating innovation in performance, safety, efficiency, and electrification for its production vehicles. Cadillac Racing is one of the leading manufacturers in the IMSA and FIA World Endurance Championships (WEC). Chevrolet competes in single seaters in the US IndyCar series, and in NASCAR with multiple team partners and drivers. Corvette customer teams compete in GT series across the globe including IMSA and WEC. Learn more at GM.com.
