Cadillac has unveiled its driver line-up for the Hypercar class of the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship. The season will see the OEM’s first entry in the 24hrs of Le Mans since 2002.
Three drivers will push for race wins in the Cadillac V-LMDh race car prepared by Chip Ganassi Racing: Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn, who co-drove the company’s No. 02 Cadillac DPi-V.R vehicle to a win at the 2022 Twelve Hours of Sebring in the USA, and veteran Richard Westbrook.
Each driver brings with him a vast range of experience. Bamber was the 2019 IMSA GTLM champion and has two overall wins from five starts at Le Mans. Lynn has driven in the WEC since 2016 and gained victory in the LMGTE Pro class at Le Mans in 2020, in addition to taking victories within the LMGTE Pro class series at Spa, Belgium, in 2017 and 2018. Westbrook is an 11-time IMSA race winner. He delivered a class victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2018, scored an overall podium finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2022, co-drove to a second-place finish at Sebring, and achieved third place at the 24 Hours of Daytona and Long Beach.
The V-LMDh vehicle was co-developed by Cadillac Design, Cadillac Racing and chassis manufacturer Dallara. It benefits from an all-new Cadillac 5.5-liter DOHC V8 engine developed by GM’s Performance and Racing propulsion team in Michigan, USA. The powertrain is partnered with an LMDh-specification energy recovery system to enable it to compete in the race series and will be Cadillac’s first hybrid prototype race car.
“We look forward to new challenges by entering the V-LMDh in the World Endurance Championship,” said Rory Harvey, global vice president at Cadillac. “Bringing together a world-class team of drivers is paramount to our success next year, and Cadillac Racing has accomplished that.”
The 2023 WEC season will begin on March 17 with the 1,000 Miles of Sebring in Florida, USA.
