Nato Eyes Payback in Brazil for “Painful” Le Mans Finish

Cadillac driver Norman Nato says he’s eyeing another FIA World Endurance Championship victory in Sao Paulo this weekend, as he and Hertz Team JOTA co-driver Will Stevens aim to avenge a disappointing conclusion to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Nato and Stevens, together with Louis Deletraz, ended up fourth in the WEC blue riband event last month aboard the No. 12 Cadillac V-Series.R after losing out in a late full-course yellow, with Toyota coming away with victory.

Now the American manufacturer’s focus turns to repeating its maiden series win that it took in last year’s 6 Hours of Sao Paulo, which it did in dominant style.

Nato, who was part of the No. 12 crew that won in Brazil last year with Stevens and the now-injured Alex Lynn, says he’s hoping for a chance to atone for the “painful” experience of just missing out on a podium finish at the Circuit de la Sarthe.

“I have such good memories of last year, it was such a good race,” Nato told Sportscar365. “The car was amazing to drive.

“Last time we were in the car was Le Mans, which is still a bit painful to be honest, because we were in the fight for the win until two-and-a-half hours until the end, and we ended up P4, not even on the podium. It was painful.

“But honestly [up to that [point] it was such a good feeling, the car was looking good. It was a good fight, and I really enjoyed that.

“Hopefully in Brazil we can fight like we did last year for the win. It’s a track I love as well. The crowd is always super-passionate, so I am really looking forward to it.”

Nato added he had no qualms about tackling the Sao Paulo round as a duo with Stevens, as Lynn continues his recovery from surgery and Deletraz steps away.

“It should be ok,” said Nato. “We get more experience when there are only two of you, driving more. We have to adapt to that, and so does the team, but we already did it earlier this year in Imola, and it went pretty well.

“For Sao Paulo (having two drivers only) is not an issue, although for the future, I’m not sure what we will do yet.”

On the other side of the JOTA Cadillac garage, Sebastien Bourdais is also heading to Brazil eager to make up for disappointment at Le Mans, where he described the race-ending issues for the No. 38 machine as like a “dagger to my heart.”

The Frenchman and Earl Bamber have not scored points since the Imola curtain-raiser, where they finished eighth, while Jack Aitken, who was absent for Imola, has yet to finish a race in the WEC this year as the No. 38 crew also retired at Spa.

“We are heading to the location of the best race weekend for the team last year, with a 1-2 finish off the back of a pole position,” said Bourdais. “We are all excited to return to see if we can get another strong result.

“It’s a tricky track to race. Tire deg is pretty significant there, and the high altitude means the car slides more than at other circuits due to there being less downforce. So it’s always a bit of a challenge to get the right window, to get the tires in the right place, but we definitely managed it last year.

“We have had a competitive package again this year, with strong pace at all races. The results just haven’t gone our way yet.”