No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R impresses with another start in top half of Hypercar field
OYAMA, Japan (Sept. 9, 2023) – The No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R will start the Six Hours of Fuji – the sixth round of its inaugural season in the FIA World Endurance Championship — from the third row following qualifications at Fuji International Speedway.
Alex Lynn recorded a best lap of 1 minute, 28.770 seconds on the 16-turn, 2.84-mile (4.563-kilometer) road course declared wet for the 15-minute session and held the provisional pole midway through the stint. He returned to pit lane with 3 minutes left and seven laps in the books as rain intensified.
The No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R qualified fifth for the second consecutive race and fourth time this season. Cadillac Racing has qualified in the top half of the Hypercar field four times.
Lynn, who also drove the hybrid racecar in qualifying in the last WEC outing at Monza, was .053 of a second behind the fourth-place car. His best lap was more than 2 seconds quicker than any of the 120 total laps in the three free practice sessions.
“I think the team operationally has been fantastic. The result at Le Mans suggests the team is working very well,” team manager Stephen Mitas said. “Monza, operationally, was fantastic. The result does not reflect what was going on in the background. Every weekend the team is getting better and the car is getting better, and we’ll keep pushing forward.”
The No. 7 Toyota Gazoo Racing, with former Cadillac Racing DPi endurance race driver Kamui Kobayashi behind the wheel, earned its second pole award in a row and fourth of the season with a lap of 1:27.794.
The No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R will aim for its second podium finish of the season. The reliability of the racecar with the distinctive sound of its 5.5-liter V8 naturally aspirated engine has led to four top-five finishes. It is one of only five Hypercars to be running at the finish of every race.
Cadillac Racing is third in the Hypercar Manufacturer Championship standings.
The Six Hours of Fuji for the FIA World Endurance Championship is scheduled for 11 a.m. JST Sunday /10 p.m. ET today. The race will air live in the U.S. on MotorTrend with live streaming coverage of the race and qualifying on the MotorTrend Plus app. Radio Le Mans will broadcast the race.
Alex Lynn, who made his FIA WEC debut at Fuji International Speedway in 2016, drove in qualifying: “The session started with mixed conditions. After we got some heat in the tires, the pace picked up and by the fourth lap I was able to get a gap and post the qualifying lap. With weather moving across the circuit, there wasn’t much to be gained in the closing minutes. We’ve shown in previous races that starting fifth in not a detriment, so we’ll continue to work on the car and hopefully be in position at the end for another podium.”
