Durability Is the Primary Goal for the Manufacturer over Three Days at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
By John Oreovicz
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Cadillac Racing wasn’t the first manufacturer to hit the track with its contender for the new-for-2023 GTP class in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. But it’s certainly making up for lost time.
Cadillac wrapped up three days of intense durability testing this week at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with the new V-LMDh prototype, following on the heels of additional sessions at Sebring International Raceway and the Putnam Park Road Course in western Indiana. Drivers Earl Bamber, Sebastien Bourdais, Pipo Derani and Alex Lynn turned important test laps.
The Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class will create open competition between cars built to IMSA Le Mans Daytona hybrid (LMDh) and FIA World Endurance Championship Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) specifications.
Bourdais called the manufacturer’s preparations for GTP “really exciting – the beginning of a new era. I think we’re all quite excited and looking forward to the future.”
Derani, defending co-champion of the WeatherTech Championship’s Daytona Prototype international (DPi) class in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R, turned his first laps behind the wheel of the new car at Michelin Raceway.
Like Bourdais, he was impressed by how good the car felt at such an early point in the development process. Both drivers used the phrase “born well,” a tribute to Cadillac’s chassis development partner, the Italian firm Dallara Automobili.
“The little time that I’ve had so far in the car shows great promise,” Derani said. “To be part of the program and develop this new hybrid technology with Cadillac Racing is fantastic for me as a driver.
“When a driver gets in a car, they immediately know if it’s a car that they’re going to be able to develop into a good car or they’re going to have lots of trouble,” he continued. “It gives us a reason to smile and keep working hard.”
Bourdais, who has won three races teamed with Renger van der Zande in the No. 01 Cadillac DPi-V.R this year, noted that he was surprised at how similar the current V-LMDh feels compared to the outgoing car despite what he called “a different balance between downforce, grip level and power.”
The Cadillac V-LMDh features a completely new V-8 engine in addition to incorporating the single-source gearbox and hybrid energy capturing system that will be used on all LMDh cars.
“It’s really not all that different at least in terms of feel,” said Bourdais. “The car was already ‘in the window’ when it hit the track and that opens up avenues to hit the ground running.”
“The car is wicked fun to drive,” added Bamber, co-driver this season of the No. 02 Cadillac V Performance Academy DPi-V.R with Lynn. “Now it’s about getting more miles, so it’s a busy time coming up with tests that are critical to the project.”
Cadillac will continue private testing efforts prior to the first IMSA-sanctioned test for GTP machinery at Michelin Raceway on Oct. 3-5. Cadillac will be joined by Acura, BMW and Porsche for a mandatory GTP sanctioned test at Daytona International Speedway on Dec. 6-7.
The first official competition laps for the new LMDh cars will take place at the 2023 Roar Before the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Jan. 20-22.