Stevens: JOTA and Cadillac are a great match
Will Stevens – one of the standout performers of the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship – believes Hertz Team JOTA’s partnership with American manufacturer Cadillac will enable the British outfit to become a consistent contender for wins in the series.
JOTA’s record in endurance racing is impressive, with ten LMP2 podium finishes in the 24 Hours of Le Mans – including second and third places overall in 2017 – back-to-back FIA World Cup for Hypercar Teams titles and an historic first outright victory for a privateer in WEC’s headlining Hypercar division at Spa-Francorchamps six months ago with its Porsche 963.
Stevens was one of the drivers behind the wheel that day, and the British star – world champion in 2022 in the LMP2 category – was on fine form again in the Bahrain season finale earlier this month, leading the race in the second hour as Hertz Team JOTA looked set to see out its stint as an independent entrant with a rostrum result.
Ultimately, a puncture put paid to those hopes, but Stevens is confident that having punched above its weight for the past couple of campaigns, the team’s tie-up with Cadillac for 2025 will allow Sam Hignett’s squad to take the next step as it bids to regularly threaten WEC’s leading lights.
“I’m proud to have been part of JOTA’s journey over the years,” the 33-year-old reflected. “To have been with the team from the start is a great feeling, and that longevity has resulted in a strong relationship – I know the team so well and they know me, which definitely helps from a performance perspective.
“I’ve made no secret of my intention to be with JOTA for the long haul, and to do this with Cadillac makes it even more special. We’ve gone from LMP2 through to Hypercar and now we’re moving onto a manufacturer programme, and JOTA and Cadillac are a great match. I feel like we have all the ingredients to be successful next season and ultimately challenge for race wins.”
Stevens’ thoughts are echoed by Alex Lynn, who competed for Cadillac Racing in 2024, putting the V-Series.R on pole position at Fuji, where he and Earl Bamber were long in the mix for the podium before their race unravelled. The 31-year-old – a former class-winner at Le Mans and European Le Mans Series champion – is similarly bullish about Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA’s prospects next year.
“I’m so happy to be joining this strong team and continuing to drive the Cadillac V-Series.R,” Lynn enthused. “It feels right. We’ve seen so much and lived so many moments with this car already and have so many great memories. I’m motivated to continue the success story and bring back some victories.”
“Joining JOTA is going to be a great step for the Cadillac project,” echoed Bamber. “They have really proven what they can do with the Porsche, and early interactions with the team have been positive. Hopefully we can accelerate their learning process [with the V-Series.R], take their knowledge from their project and combine all that into winning races in WEC in 2025.”
