JOTA Cadillac Driver Lineup Taking Shape

The driver lineup for the two-car JOTA Cadillac outfit for the FIA World Endurance Championship next year appears close to being finalized.

It was officially announced last month that current Porsche Hypercar customer team JOTA Sport would take over the factory Cadillac program from Chip Ganassi Racing for next year, with two cars to be fielded under the Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA banner.

No drivers have yet been confirmed for the new-look squad, but as the end of the current season looms, the make-up of the lineups for the following season is becoming clearer.

Current Cadillac factory drivers Alex Lynn and Earl Bamber are believed to have already signed to make the move to JOTA next year, with Bamber also a possibility to take on a dual program across the WEC and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

In addition, Sebastien Bourdais has been strongly linked to a potential shift over from Cadillac’s IMSA program, where he drives for CGR, to the WEC.

Current JOTA drivers Will Stevens and Norman Nato, meanwhile, are understood to be making the transition to Cadillac together with the British team.

Speaking to Sportscar365, Stevens said he was unable to discuss his 2025 plans other than saying: “I’ll know where I will be and what I will be doing.”

For his part, Nato confirmed he would race on WEC, despite having also signed a deal to rejoin the Nissan Formula E team for the 2024/25 season in recent days.

“The project with Nissan came late, but it has always been a priority to be in the WEC every year, and this is where I see my future,” Nato told Sportscar365.

“I am not planning to stop in WEC next year just because I am doing Formula E. This year I also did both and it has been working well, so I will definitely be on the grid again in WEC.”

Nato wouldn’t be drawn on which championship he would prioritize when the WEC’s Sao Paulo round clashes with Formula E’s Berlin race in July, but it appears likely that the Frenchman would be present in Sao Paulo.

Jenson Button appears to be the favorite to land the sixth and final slot at JOTA.

The Formula 1 world champion told Sportscar365 during the Sao Paulo round in July that he hoped to stay on with the team next year, and his high profile is likely to make him attractive to both Cadillac and title partner Hertz.

Button’s teammates in the No. 38 car this year, Phil Hanson and Oliver Rasmussen, both appear to be on their way out at JOTA.

Rasmussen told Sportscar365: “I am still searching [for a seat]. Things are very unclear at the moment, to be honest. It’s a big question mark.”

Callum Ilott, who partners Stevens and Nato in the No. 12 Porsche, has been heavily linked to a move to the NTT IndyCar Series with Prema Racing.

The British driver refused to comment when asked about the situation by Sportscar365 at the previous WEC round at the Circuit of The Americas.