Experience, continuity mark roster for two Cadillac V-LMDh cars in new prototype class
DETROIT (Sept. 20, 2022) – Four drivers with a passion for victory will seek to continue Cadillac’s rich heritage of winning on the racetrack in an exciting new era of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship prototype racing.
Competing in the nine-race Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) schedule for 2023 in the all-new Cadillac V-LMDh race car:
Renger van der Zande and Sebastien Bourdais, who have co-driven the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R to three victories this season in the top level of IMSA competition, will continue as teammates in a Chip Ganassi Racing-prepared Cadillac V-LMDh.
Reigning IMSA DPi Driver Champion Pipo Derani will be paired with multi-faceted British driver Alexander Sims in the sister Cadillac V-LMDh prepared by Action Express Racing.
Additional drivers for the two Cadillac Racing GTP entries for long-distance races on the 2023 IMSA schedule, which begins with the 61st Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 28-29, will be announced later.
Cadillac will also compete in the Hypercar class of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2023 as the sole U.S.-based manufacturer. Drivers of the Cadillac V-LMDh entry will be announced later for the schedule that includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The WEC season begins March 17 with the 1,000 Miles of Sebring in Florida.
“The new GTP class is set to create some of the most exciting competition in decades,” said Rory Harvey, Vice President Global Cadillac. “We look forward to seeing our world-class driver lineup in the Cadillac V-LMDh and we welcome Alexander Sims to Cadillac.”
Codeveloped by Cadillac Design, Cadillac Racing and chassis manufacturer Dallara, the Cadillac V-LMDh race car features an all-new Cadillac 5.5-liter DOHC V-8 engine developed by GM’s Performance and Racing propulsion team based in Pontiac, Michigan, which is mated to the LMDh spec energy recovery system to serve as Cadillac’s first hybrid prototype.
Sims, 34, from London, will make his IMSA prototype racing debut at Daytona International Speedway in the Cadillac V-LMDh but already is a member of the GM family.
Sims was the third driver in a Chevrolet Corvette C8.R entry in 2021 for the Rolex 24 At Daytona — finishing second in the GTLM class to the sister Corvette — the Twelve Hours of Sebring, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the season-ending Petit Le Mans. He recorded the fastest race laps in class at Le Mans and the Petit Le Mans.
He rejoined the No. 64 Corvette team in June at Le Mans, where the entry earned the pole in the GTE Pro class. Sims recorded five victories and nine podium finishes in 25 IMSA GTLM races in 2017-18.
“I’m excited to be racing back in IMSA full time and to be driving the Cadillac V-LMDh. It’s an impressive piece of kit. I had a good couple of years with Corvette doing some GT racing, which brought me back to the IMSA paddock,” said Sims, who competed against Derani in Formula 3. “It’s racing that I absolutely adore. The format of the racing, the competitiveness, the tracks that we go to are brilliant.
“To be stepping across within the GM family to Cadillac in the top tier of racing with Action Express, which is a championship-winning team, is exciting for me.”
Derani, who clinched the 2021 driver title on the final laps of the Petit Le Mans, has posted six wins in the Cadillac DPi-V.R since joining Action Express Racing for the 2019 season. Overall, Derani has made 59 starts in IMSA prototype competition since 2016.
“As a driver, it’s a fantastic opportunity to be a part of a program of the future of endurance racing. To join Cadillac as a factory driver is a dream come true,” Derani said.
Sims and Derani recently participated in development sessions of the Cadillac V-LMDh at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and Watkins Glen International.
Van der Zande has registered eight IMSA victories in a Cadillac DPi-V.R since 2018 and is completing his first season sharing the seat with Bourdais.
Bourdais, the four-time INDYCAR champion, has four wins in a Cadillac DPi-V.R, including the Twelve Hours of Sebring in 2021 with JDC-Miller Motorsports. Bourdais has driven to four pole starts this season in the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R.
“The development has started on the new car and we’re trying to take it to as many places as possible and I’ve been I’ve been a part of that since the beginning,” Bourdais said. “It’s something I very much enjoy, developing a new car, it’s a bit like a new baby. You kind of put your mark on it and give your feedback and dream to develop it in a way where you feel one with the car. We have a very strong base and Cadillac and Dallara have done a great job. It’s a very exciting program and a very exciting new era for endurance racing.”
Five Cadillac DPi-V.R entries – including cars driven by Bourdais, van der Zande and Derani — will seek to win the Oct. 1 Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta to conclude the DPi era.
The Cadillac DPi-V.R has recorded 27 victories – tops among all manufacturers – in the six seasons covering 58 races heading into the final event of the season.
What they’re saying
Renger van der Zande: “I’m really excited to stay with Chip Ganassi Racing and Cadillac where I’ve been driving since 2018. These are the brands I’ve been with for a long time and it’s where I feel very comfortable because we have the same goals and mentality of how to approach racing and how to win.
“I’m thrilled to stay with Seb. We had a full season together and we complement each other very well on and off track in terms of cooperation so that’s something where it’s a very automatic and a pleasure to continue working with him.
“It’s a new era coming up with Cadillac’s V-LMDh where we’re taking on big fights against other manufacturers who have been at it for a long time and competing in Le Mans each year. We’re trying to go in there and win it with an all-new car and technologies. It’s an amazing project to be part of from the beginning. Everybody is super motivated to develop the car, work on the systems, work on the team, get the right people in place because it’s a bit of a bigger project than the DPI was and there’s a lot more to it with everything being new. There’s a lot to figure out but it’s really cool to see the energy within the team to move forward and we’re part of history here.”
Sebastien Bourdais: “I’m super happy to be back with Chip Ganassi Racing and the Cadillac racing program. It’s super exciting times for endurance racing in general so I couldn’t be happier to keep the relationship going. The cars are really cool and the competition is going to be really high across multiple championships and series.
“I think Renger and I complement each other really well. It’s been a very fruitful relationship and we get along really well. I think our driving styles are somewhat different, but we very easily find the common ground on setups and if one of us doesn’t feel super, super strong, we always feel safe because we know the other one can carry the load. That’s a very, very good thing in a partnership with a teammate like that. Our relationship is only going to build and get stronger and I can’t wait to take it to the next level and win many more races with him.
“The LMDh cars have quite a bit more power, a bit less downforce and a bit more weight. Overall, I think it’s going to be very close as far as the times are concerned compared to the DPIs. We’ll have great battles and really close racing, so I can’t wait to get going.”
Pipo Derani: “As a driver, it’s a fantastic opportunity to be a part of a program of the future of endurance racing. To join Cadillac as a factory driver is a dream come true.
“I’ve been with Action Express Racing since 2019 and we’ve developed a great relationship in terms of knowing each other really well, working together and understanding from each other what we need to succeed. It’s a big pleasure to be staying on with Action Express and a big pleasure to be representing the Cadillac brand that has given me most of my wins and championships in the DPi era.
“To be moving on to a bigger step and representing the brand as a factory driver starting in 2023 is great and a story that continues to grow into great things.
“I hope we can continue to achieve fantastic results and to keep Cadillac on the top step where it belongs. Alexander has lots of experience with electric and hybrid vehicles, which will add a lot to our team. We don’t have the luxury with the development of the new car to go through an adaptation time. We need to hit the ground running and Alexander will allow us to do just that.”
Alexander Sims: “I’m excited to be racing back in IMSA full time and to be driving the Cadillac V-LMDh. Over the last couple of years with Corvette I’ve gotten to know (GM sports car racing program manager) Laura Klauser and others within the GM motorsports family, and they have been brilliant to work with. To be able to continue that relationship while now working day in and day out with Action Express is a great feeling and I’m looking forward to the future.
“My last few years have been in Formula E, so from a technical perspective I hope I can bring some of that experience into this hybrid era of sports car racing. I’ve looked up to Pipo for many years in the level of racing that he’s been able to win in. It’s a lovely opportunity for me to be getting back to the racing that I love and doing alongside him. We raced in F3 together, so we’ve always been battling against each other, and I’ve always had a deep respect for what he does.
“Really looking forward to working with him. To be able to have a solid testing program is important from an engineering and technical perspective, but just as important from the human side is to spend some time getting to know each other in less pressure situations.”
About Cadillac
A leading luxury auto brand since 1902, Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio that features distinctive design and technology. More information on Cadillac appears at www.cadillac.com. Cadillac’s media website with information, images and video can be found at media.cadillac.com.
