Cadillac back after 21 years away

Did you know that the name Cadillac has French origins? The American brand takes its name from Antoine de Lamothe-Cadillac, explorer of Castelsarrasin and founder of Detroit (Michigan) in 1701. Returning to the 24 Hours of Le Mans is therefore a homecoming for the firm of General Motors, which had not set wheels in Sarthe since 2002. For the Centenary, the Americans will present themselves with no less than three prototypes entered in the Hypercar category, with the aim of winning the final victory.

 » It’s an honor to compete for victory at Le Mans with an iconic American brand like Cadillacsaid Laura Wontrop Klauser, racing program manager at General Motors. The entire team is excited to continue building Cadillac’s racing legacy by competing against the best internationally and in the world’s toughest race. I think we wear the colors of America loud and clear with our Cadillac, and we are proud of it. »

The #2 Cadillac V-Series.R co-driven by Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook is the car entered for the full FIA WEC season. After three races, the team operated by Chip Ganassi Racing fourth in the championship standings. Renger van der Zande, Scott Dixon and Sébastien Bourdais from the #3 Cadillac V-Series.R joined them for an endurance and performance test at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão, Portugal.

 » To drive for a manufacturer like Cadillac and return to Le Mans to try to win the general classification is a great honor, confides Sébastien Bourdais. I had the opportunity to do it several times in my career and there is nothing like aiming for victory in the general classification of Le Mans. As a resident of Le Mans, I’m very busy dealing with all media requests, but it will be even more special if it’s a big day. It will be the first time in quite some time that I will not be in a hurry to arrive and return (to North America) for an IndyCar race or whatever. I think the last time this happened was in 2011, so it will help me focus more on the event and on optimizing the outcome. »

The third car will be flocked to No. 311 and will be driven by the trio Pipo Derani, Jack Aitken and Alexander Sims, winners at the 12 Hours of Sebring this year.

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