24h Le Mans
With victory at the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo and Hyperpole at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA left its mark on the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship season. For the 2026 campaign, the Cadillac V-Series.R will be back sharper and hungrier than ever, and nursing the ambition of writing its own legend at the French endurance classic.
Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA sent out several strong signals during the 2025 season. Three Hyperpoles, including the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans, victory at the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo, and a regular place in the top five. The US outfit has confirmed that it is a force to be reckoned with in the FIA WEC field and, while a 24 Hours of Le Mans win has so far proved elusive, it does have impetus on its side. For the second year of the Cadillac-JOTA partnership in 2026, adjustments will be made to the American hypercar’s aerodynamic set-up. The quest for Le Mans success has begun!
There were occasions during the 2025 season that caused the heart to beat a little faster. There was that unforgettable Thursday evening in June when the Cadillac V-Series.R, driven by Alex Lynn, scooped a historic Hyperpole at the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans. There was that shot of the two American hypercars starting side-by-side on the front row of the grid in front of the packed grandstands. But the race itself did not quite pan out as planned. Lacking grip, the track was not best suited to the two V-Series.R that nonetheless fought valiantly to the chequered flag. The #12 finished in fourth place (on the same lap as the winning Ferrari) while the #38 took seventh place, one lap behind the leading group.
JOTA Sport director Sam Hignett found signs of hope and encouragement in the disappointing outcome: “It’s easy to think about what could have been right now but we need to take a moment to focus on how far we’ve come in the few short months since we’ve formally been working together with Cadillac. (...) The whole team has worked phenomenally hard to get to this point and whilst we know we still have a way to go we have 365 days to prepare for this one next year. Obviously, we want to be on the podium, we want to win but this is a really solid start to a long-term project.”
Sébastien Bourdais, the clear-headed driver of the #38 Cadillac, added: "We’ve got some work to do; we made some mistakes. We got a bit unlucky at times. But, overall, we need to be stronger to win a WEC race right now. We are showing some good things and just need to build on the strengths and fill the gap for the weaknesses."
So, what was achieved in the 2025 season? A one-two in São Paulo, three Hyperpoles, and a fourth place in the FIA Hypercar World Endurance Manufacturers’ Championship behind Ferrari, Toyota and Porsche.
Cadillac has decided to tweak its hypercar in an attempt to bridge the gap. In 2026, the aero package of the V-Series.R will be upgraded to achieve a faster peak speed. A necessary ingredient to tame Le Mans’ long, unforgiving straights.
As for the drivers, continuity will be the watchword. The wheel of the #12 Cadillac will be shared by the same solid trio of Alex Lynn, Norman Nato and Will Stevens. This line-up scored points in every race of 2025. A newcomer will bring a breath of fresh air to the Bamber-Bourdais pairing in the #38 car: Jack Aitken. This season, the pure speed, consistency and maturity of the 30-year-old British racer caught the eye. Both line-ups certainly have winning credentials.
In 2026, Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA ought to shed its outsider tag and become a regular winner. The 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans (10-14 June 2026) could be the one where the V-Series.R finally steps up and makes the grade.
