Bourdais, DragonSpeed Looking to ‘Enjoy the Moment’ in GTD Pro

Sebastien Bourdais said he and DragonSpeed are hoping to “enjoy the moment” in the GTD Pro class at this weekend’s Motul Petit Le Mans amid an open future.

DragonSpeed has returned to the top production-based ranks for the first time since contending for the GTD Pro title last year in a Ferrari 296 GT3, prior to its switch to GTD and the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R.

Bourdais, whose primary program has been with Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA in the FIA World Endurance Championship, received the call-up from the Elton Julian-led squad to join the team’s season-long lineup of Giacomo Altoe and Casper Stevenson.

“For us, it’s to enjoy the moment and try and have as solid a result as possible,” Bourdais told Sportscar365. “Keep an eye on who’s around you and what’s happening because you just don’t want to be that guy.

“There’s a bit of help from Pratt Miller, so we’ll see. We don’t say we want to finish top five or in the podium or anything. I think obviously it’s a tough category. You have manufacturer efforts [so] we’ll see how good we can get it.

“But there’s also a championship on the line, so it’s still pretty wide open, and you don’t want to be the guy who’s going to sway the championship one way or another.”

The team did not test at the 2.54-mile Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta circuit prior to this week, which Bourdais said has led to an uphill learning curve.

“[We’re] just trying to learn the system and the car; they didn’t come test,” he said. “It’s always a little tricky when you show up for the weekend and don’t really have a strong base link.

“There’s no particular job description and enjoy the experience. If we can go in a race, then let’s go win a race then we’ll see what’s realistic.”

Bourdais is making his first appearance in a Corvette or even the GT3 class, with the Frenchman’s last start in a production-based race car having come in the 2019 Petit Le Mans with the Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT program in GTLM.

Despite his relationship with General Motors as a Cadillac Hypercar driver, Bourdais said the decision came at a team level.

“Anthony [Megevand, DragonSpeed sporting director] called me up and asked if I was interested in driving with them for the weekend,” he said. “For me it was a bit of a no-brainer.

“This has nothing to do with GM. It was just purely DragonSpeed that just had an opening, and they wanted a pro. The relationship with GM obviously is good.”

Bourdais, who makes his first IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship start since January’s Rolex 24 at Daytona with LMP2 squad Tower Motorsport, previously revealed that he will not be back with the factory Cadillac squad in WEC.

The 47-year-old, however, has stressed that he’s not ready to retire as a driver.

“I don’t really have a clear picture of what’s laying ahead,” Bourdais said. “So right now, I’m just not really putting priorities on the future or whatever. 

“I think it’s more what the program is going to be about and what the fit, [and] whatever could come around.

“I’m just really coming here with a very open mind as far as what could be next and also not focusing too much on next year, just trying to enjoy the weekend and have a good result.

“It’s always a different experience in the GT, anyways. So far it’s actually going pretty decently. It’s a bit early, but I was pleasantly surprised.

“We’ll see what comes around or not. Looking at things on their end and obviously looking at things on my end, we’ll see what’s available.”