Lynn: Cadillac ‘Very Close to Bridging Gap’ for First WEC Win

Photo: Michele Scudiero/Drew Gibson Photography

Alex Lynn believes Cadillac is “very close” to bridging the gap of transforming strong single-lap pace into a breakthrough first win in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Lynn scored his second consecutive Hypercar pole on Saturday in Sao Paulo, with the No. 12 Hertz Team JOTA Cadillac V-Series.R set to start from the the top spot in today’s six-hour contest in Brazil.

The Englishman, who scored his third career Hypercar pole, all with Cadillac, said the Sam Hignett-led squad, which took over the American manufacturer’s factory WEC program this season, has placed a large focus achieving improved long-run pace from the Dallara-chassied LMDh car.

“Honestly, our side of the garage has been feeling really confident over the last few days,” said Lynn. “We knew we’d have good speed on one lap.

“Obviously the thing with the Cadillac is making sure [the pace] can last all race.

“We’ve been focusing mainly on that… The thing with our car is making sure we can do six hours with good race pace.

“We know we can do one lap really well. But it’s about making the tires last and making sure we make the right strategy calls.”

Lynn and co-drivers Norman Nato and Will Stevens are coming off a season-best fourth place result at Le Mans, in what has seen continual improvement within the Cadillac program, which is in its third season of WEC competition.

“There’s no way to sugar-coat it other than that is what we need to do,” said Lynn. “We’ve been doing this thing for quite a few years now. We need to put it together in the race. We’re good over one lap, the car has got good pace.

“It’s always been good but like Le Mans, you’re fourth. We’ve been seeking that [win] for a long time now.”

Lynn attributed the highly competitive nature of the WEC as also making a significant difference in what’s so far been an up-and-down season for the pair of JOTA-run entries.

He has laid out a target of giving the UK-based team its first podium finish this weekend.

“The problem is that it’s just so tough to beat everyone else,” Lynn said. “The competition is so fierce; no one is sleeping race to race. Everyone’s bringing improvements.

“Our car is a very, very good car but the difference between having a very good car and winning a race is tough.

“That’s the gap we’re trying to bridge. I think we’re very close, to be honest.

“We’ll start with trying to get the podium and if the win’s there, we’re going to go for it.

“In my personal opinion, if we can go home with a trophy, I’ll be happy. But if [the race] unfolds better than we expect, we’ll go for the win.”

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