Derani Helping Action Express Get Up to Speed at Le Mans

Photo: Mike Levitt/IMSA

Pipo Derani said he’s relishing a role reversal of sorts at Le Mans, with the Brazilian helping his longtime IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship team Action Express Racing get up to speed for its debut in the twice-around-the-clock endurance classic.

The 2021 IMSA DPi champion, who has seven previous starts at Circuit de la Sarthe, is the most experienced Le Mans driver in the No. 311 Cadillac V-Series.R lineup that also features Alexander Sims and Jack Aitken.

“This is very special,” Derani told Sportscar365. “I’ve been here many times and it’s always trying to get used to a new team, get to know new people and there’s so many things to learn with different cars.

“Now coming here with my [IMSA] team, it’s the opposite.

“I know the track, I know the event and I’m trying to help them in some areas where they don’t know, being here for the first time.

“It’s great. It takes away all of the extra things you need to worry about when coming to a new team and it allows me to just focus on trying to help and guide the team a little bit on some areas that they don’t know.

“It’s special because Action Express has never been here as a team and I’ve been with them for so long and have accomplished so much.

“To be able to be here together is a nice experience.”

When asked what the biggest piece of advice he’s been able to give to the five-time IMSA championship-winning squad, Derani said “don’t spend your energy too early” during the event.

“Then obviously on the sporting side, the rules, the safety car rules are different,” he added.

“So trying to guide them for what we need as a driver in terms of how the countdown is done for a yellow and things like that, is very different to IMSA, and it’s very important here.

“On the technical side, it’s up to Action Express and Ganassi to put their heads together and do the best for Cadillac.

“I think so far Action Express has done a fantastic job in getting things done quickly and making sure they are ahead of the game.

“It’s a very big change, a very big event to come in for the first time.

“I’m hoping that we can run through that very smoothly and learn as quickly as we can because definitely that can make a difference in the race.”

Westbrook on Cadillac’s ‘One Team’ Approach 

Richard Westbrook, who is one of the drivers in Chip Ganassi Racing’s full-season FIA World Endurance Championship entry, said all three Cadillac Hypercar class entries are working together to help move forward.

The pair of CGR-entered Cadillacs are sharing the same garage space as the AXR car.

“Procedurally it’s very, very different to IMSA,” Westbrook told Sportscar365. “We’ve had to get used to that very quickly this year. The racing is very, very different.

“So we’ll lend as much support to the other two Cadillacs as we can, because you can’t just assume doing IMSA for years [that] you come into this and know how to do it.

“I learned that with Ganassi with the Ford. You really have to adapt and adapt quickly because it’s a very different style of racing.

“It’s a different rulebook in fact. It’s just the way the race works is very, very different.

“So for sure we need to work as one team. For us particularly, it’s nice to have more cars in our team, because we’re the only Cadillac doing WEC [full-time].

“We haven’t got someone else to try a different compound or a different setup change. So it’s actually nice to have three cars.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John