Sims Named in Cadillac’s GTP Driver Lineup

Cadillac has announced its full-season GTP driver lineups for next year’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship campaign including the signing of Alexander Sims.

The British driver has been named alongside Pipo Derani, Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande as part of the manufacturer’s core roster for its first season with the new Cadillac V-LMDh hybrid prototype.

Sims will team up with Pipo Derani at Action Express Racing, while current DPi co-drivers Bourdais and Van der Zande will continue with Chip Ganassi Racing.

Derani has shared a Cadillac DPi-V.R in the WeatherTech Championship’s top class with Tristan Nunez and Olivier Pla this year.

IMSA prototype newcomer Sims has previously driven for General Motors brand Corvette Racing, taking part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and Motul Petit Le Mans.

He has also represented BMW for several years in GT racing, as well as competing in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with BMW and Mahindra.

“I’m excited to be racing back in IMSA full time and to be driving the Cadillac V-LMDh,” said Sims.

“It’s an impressive piece of kit. I had a good couple of years with Corvette doing some GT racing, which brought me back to the IMSA paddock.

“It’s racing that I absolutely adore. The format of the racing, the competitiveness, the tracks that we go to are brilliant.

“To be stepping across within the GM family to Cadillac in the top tier of racing with Action Express, which is a championship-winning team, is exciting for me.”

Despite being an experienced sports car racing competitor, Sims hasn’t raced a prototype since 2012 when he drove a Lola B12/80 Judd in the LMP2 class at Le Mans.

Next year’s IMSA campaign will see Sims reunited with one of his Formula 3 contemporaries in Derani, who is set for his fifth season with Cadillac in the top category.

The new GTP pairing recently conducted track tests with the Dallara-based, V8-powered Cadillac V-LMDh at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and Watkins Glen.

“I hope we can continue to achieve fantastic results and to keep Cadillac on the top step where it belongs,” said Derani.

“Alexander has lots of experience with electric and hybrid vehicles, which will add a lot to our team.

“We don’t have the luxury with the development of the new car to go through an adaptation time. We need to hit the ground running and Alexander will allow us to do just that.”

Bourdais and van der Zande became a full-season pairing for CGR this year, ahead of the final season for the DPi class.

They have won three races together so far and sit third in the standings heading into next weekend’s Petit Le Mans finale.

“I’m really excited to stay with Chip Ganassi Racing and Cadillac where I’ve been driving since 2018,” said van der Zande.

“These are the brands I’ve been with for a long time and it’s where I feel very comfortable because we have the same goals and mentality of how to approach racing and how to win.

“I’m thrilled to stay with Seb. We had a full season together and we complement each other very well on and off track in terms of cooperation so that’s something where it’s a very automatic and a pleasure to continue working with him.”

Four-time IndyCar champion Bourdais added: “I think Renger and I complement each other really well. It’s been a very fruitful relationship and we get along really well.

“I think our driving styles are somewhat different, but we very easily find the common ground on setups and if one of us doesn’t feel super, super strong, we always feel safe because we know the other one can carry the load.

“That’s a very, very good thing in a partnership with a teammate like that. Our relationship is only going to build and get stronger and I can’t wait to take it to the next level and win many more races with him.”

Cadillac will announce each car’s additional driver for the Michelin Endurance Cup races at a later date.

The same will apply to its single-car entry for the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Hypercar class.

In addition to the four confirmed GTP drivers, Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn have also driven the Cadillac LMDh car during its pre-homologation development phase.

“The new GTP class is set to create some of the most exciting competition in decades,” said Rory Harvey, Vice President Global Cadillac.

“We look forward to seeing our world-class driver lineup in the Cadillac V-LMDh and we welcome Alexander Sims to Cadillac.”