Lynn: Consistent Podium Bids “Next Step” for Cadillac

Alex Lynn says fighting for podiums “weekend after weekend” must be Cadillac’s goal for its second year in the FIA World Endurance Championship with the V-Series.R.

Cadillac’s first season in the WEC’s Hypercar class last year peaked with a third-place finish in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but the car shared by Lynn, Earl Bamber and Richard Westbrook only scored two more points in the remaining three races of the year.

Lynn and Bamber both return for the 2024 campaign and are joined in the Chip Ganassi Racing-run No. 2 entry by Sebastien Bourdais for the opening round at Qatar, although are likely to race as a duo in the subsequent rounds at Imola and Spa.

While expressing cautious optimism for the year ahead, Lynn said he feels showing more consistency will be a priority for Cadillac in its second season.

“Toyota will obviously be the team to beat again, and it’s so tough to beat their 10 years plus of championship-winning DNA, their driver combinations,” Lynn told Sportscar365. “I would 100 percent expect Toyota to be favorite in Qatar.

“To fast track your learning curve, for any manufacturer, it takes time. I like to think we’ll be closer, although everyone else will have improved as well. The competition in WEC is the highest it has been for a very long time.”

Asked what would represent a successful year for Cadillac, Lynn replied: “More podiums, some front rows on the grid in qualifying. And to fight at the front for the podium. 

“I think that’s the thing, to be in the fight weekend after weekend. Now we’ve been to most of the tracks, so that for me is the next step as a team.”

Cadillac will continue as a one-car effort for the 2024 season, although it is expected that the American marque will have additional entries granted for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Lynn admitted that this will make it harder for the team to experiment with different tire compounds compared to its main rivals.

“It has its strengths and weaknesses, really,” said Lynn when asked about Cadillac persisting with one car. “Strengths being [it makes us] a bit more dynamic as a team. 

“Weaknesses, especially with the different tire compounds and very limited track time on a weekend, compared to an IMSA weekend… limited track time to run through three drivers, only one set of tires per practice session. 

“If you didn’t know which compound to use and you only have one car, it’s tough to gather all the knowledge.”

Cadillac Convinced of Performance Benefit With Two-Driver Lineup 

Cadillac team manager Stephen Mitas says he believes that using two drivers only is the way to go for the WEC’s six-hour races, with the post-Le Mans races at Interlagos, Austin and Fuji all offering this possibility as well as Imola and Spa.

While the practice of using two drivers per car was commonplace in the now-defunct GTE Pro class, it has been a rarity in the top division. The last team to attempt it was DragonSpeed at Fuji in 2018, where James Allen and Ben Hanley ran as a pair.

“There’s a performance gain to be had,” said Mitas. “The format of a WEC weekend with the six-hour race means that driver prep during free practice and qualifying is always limited. 

“And then through the course of a six-hour race, the two-driver format is obviously a performance gain. More time in the car, more time prepping, and then through the course of the race, it’s a little easier to manage. 

“Obviously, [in] the longer forms of endurance racing it’s not possible, but over the six-hour race, there are some performance benefits to be had.”

Davey Euwema contributed to this report