Cadillac at Sebring: What they’re saying
Taylor, Deletraz seek to repeat victory — this time in the Cadillac V-Series.R
Jordan Taylor and Louis Deletraz, co-drivers with Brendon Hartley of the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R, met with members of the media today to preview the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Cadillac. Taylor and Deletraz co-drove to victory in 2024 with another manufacturer.
How big was it for you to do the Ultraman Florida and why on God’s green earth would anybody do that to themselves?
Jordan Taylor: “It was definitely a weird thing to do. During the whole COVID time, I got into triathlons with Ricky (Taylor) and some friends and this Ultraman race was always in our hometown area where we train, so we kind of always saw it happening and always wondered what it would be like and how insane it would be to actually be able to complete one. When Ricky did his Ironman last year, I just felt I wanted to do something crazy again and signed up for it kind of on the spot. I didn’t really think too much of it. I just thought this would be a cool challenge to do and kind of through all the training it was a fun process to kind of understand the challenge of it and see what it takes to complete one. It went super well, had a great experience, a really cool community of people that kind of lives that life, while we live a life in motorsports. It was nice to kind of get it done timing-wise after Daytona and kind of switch gears and start focusing on Sebring where we were able to do a little two-day test there a couple weeks ago and really kind of get a head start on the week ahead.”
What do you think about when you look back on those closing minutes last year at Sebring and how do you apply that as you head into this year’s race?
Louis Deletraz: “Last year’s Sebring was fantastic. With the victory, I have very good memories from it. It was one of the best victories in my career and it’s always nice to see the images again, so coming in this year we had two test days, we prepared well with the Cadillac and I think we should be in a strong position again to fight for it and hopefully we can repeat it. It’s just such an amazing race and special track. So, I’m very excited to be back and with good memories. We had a rough Daytona and want to bounce back there.”
How has the transition gone from Acura to Cadillac?
Jordan Taylor: “It’s been a good transition. I’ve spent my entire career in GM vehicles, so kind of as soon as I jumped back into the Cadillac, you kind of feel that just natural feel of a GM car. I don’t know how to explain it, but you kind of know you’re in either a Corvette or a Cadillac. And for me, it felt more like home. Obviously, all these cars are built to a homologation, so they should feel relatively similar from a weight and power point of view. Obviously, ours is naturally aspirated, so the way the power delivers is a bit different. The way the traction control comes in is different because of that. And then the way you use all the systems. Every manufacturer has the same capabilities of what they can do with the systems. It’s just up to them to kind of strategize it and implement it as best as possible. So, for us coming in, the steering wheel layout was the exact same, but every button was labeled differently and had a different job. So, it’s been an adjustment kind of understanding that and how we want to use those tools to be a strength for us. But I think we’ve gotten a good handle it on it.
“Daytona was hectic being the first race for us, but testing at Sebring for two days was super beneficial. I think we were able to finally get to stuff that as a team wanted to get through on a setup point of view. Obviously, we have Dallara, where they worked with Ganassi and Whelen the past couple of years developing setups and we come in kind of with a different perspective. So, we’ve got stuff that we want to try. We can always lean on them for some help, but I think we’re looking forward to Sebring where the cars ran very well last year. Obviously, Louis was battling with Bourdais and a Cadillac at the end of the race. And we’re counting on Louis being the difference-maker and hopefully the Cadillac being a stronger car.”
How excited are you being part of the Le Mans’s entry in June?
Jordan Taylor: “It’s obviously super exciting for the team. Ever since my dad started a racing program back in, I think 2005 or 2006, the goal was always to go to Le Mans. Always being a team that was in Grand-Am back in the day and then on the IMSA side, it’s difficult to get entries, especially when the class structure didn’t really accept cars from the prototype class back in the day. So, once the GTP era started and Hypercars, that goal was a little bit more realistic. The first couple of years, it wasn’t an option. So being back with Cadillac and GM was a was a big part of that getting into Le Mans. I still feel a lifelong goal for my dad and his team and everyone’s super excited and super motivated. It’s going to be a lot of work. Every team that’s been that’s going there this year has experience and Wayne Taylor Racing is probably the freshest of anyone. But we’ve got a lot of smart people on our team and a lot of motivation.”
Are you able to expand on differences between Cadillac and Acura?
Louis Deletraz: “It’s definitely interesting to have been in both cars because you can see where both have strong parts. I would say it’s not that different, but definitely the way the Cadillac rides over bumps is slightly different. I would say the Cadillac is very good on bumps, especially the exit Turn 1 or in Turn 17 it gives you confidence, allows you to brake late and just rides better. But we did not really drive by night in the test. I think we learned a lot about the car, had made a good race setup, so I’m quite excited to see how we get along there. But until the night comes, actually bring at the end of the race, I think that’s when we’ll have real answers and hopefully we’re in a similar position to last year to win it.”
Jordan Taylor: “The last couple of years were obviously against the Cadillac and you kind of come up with these ideas of strengths and weaknesses, and I think when you race around each other you kind of get an idea of it and we always knew the Cadillac was a little bit stronger on tire deg and just naturally the way probably the geometry of the car is, the way it works, the tire is a little bit different. That kind of felt a little bit realistic at Daytona. I think Sebring will be a whole different animal now. It looks very hot on the weekend, so that’s going to be interesting. I’ve been kind of re-watching last year’s race to kind of get an idea. And it seemed like tire deg was a big part of it and the Cadillacs did seem strong last year over the long runs. So, I think it’s interesting. Obviously, we’re still learning. I think the setups that the teams decide on have a huge influence on so many factors. We did a lot of kind of big swings at our Sebring test to kind of get an idea of what works in the day versus night and long run versus short runs. So, hopefully we can make the right decisions this week that will benefit us.”
Sebring is a different animal than Daytona, so how does the conditioning go for a track that’s a little bit rougher and more physical than Daytona?
Louis Deletraz: ”We try to be in shape the whole year. There is not just one specific race which you try to be better at. We also have more cooling in the cockpit — helmet cooling, including probably cool suits. Sebring is always hard, especially the double stints at the beginning in the heat. But it’s not unusual, especially in IMSA when you often have a hot and humid track. So just be ready.”
Did you relate the Ironman to a sprint versus the Ultraman to an endurance race?
Jordan Taylor: “I’d say an Ironman does feel more like a sprint race relatively. I think the Ultraman you have your eight-hour day of working out and then you’ve got to rest and recover. It felt like a Rolex 24 where you get out of the car, sort of recover as fast as possible, start eating and trying to sleep. And then you’re up a couple hours later to start the next day. So, it did feel like a 24-hour event, like Daytona, just over a whole weekend. It kind of reaffirmed a lot of stuff that we know in motorsports with recovery and nutrition and hydration. Those things were all so crucial and things that I can take into my racing career now where I could feel mental fatigue and physical fatigue and how to counter that with either hydration and salt or carbs and that type of nutrition. So goes hand in hand with everyday life. It was a cool experience, and I think the coolest part was bringing the racing community to them and kind of opening their eyes to what sports car racing is and now bringing that Ultraman world to the world of motorsports.”
Your win at Sebring last year you got past Felipe Nasr and then Sebastien Bourdais. You just had to send it. Can you recount that for us?
Louis Deletraz: “I remember very well having to pass Nasr who was slower I think he didn’t have tires and going around the outside of Turn 7. I went there, I wasn’t really sure if I was going to make it out, but it was only 20 minutes to go so it was our only chance to try and win. And same thing on for the victory. It’s a lot going on with traffic, quite crazy and you’re not comfortable. But I felt like sometimes you’re in the car it’s that moment, you’re in the zone and it’s maybe your day. So, you have to take the opportunity. I’m really excited that we will get that opportunity again (this) week because I think we had three days in the simulator to prepare as much as possible. It’s an important event. And I’m pretty sure it’ll be competitive again. So that’s what is beautiful about IMSA. You always get a chance in the last hour and it was a great moment.”
You banged fenders with Bourdais and I’m sure you saw it afterward he wasn’t too happy. Did you guys ever have a chance to hash things out?
Louis Deletraz: “We’re quite good friends. think in the heat of the moment without seeing TV it’s always different and I’m sure he was frustrated because we both wanted to win. But we were both very respectful to each other. Hard, but respectful. It’s so easy to push each other out, not give each other room. and cause the yellow. I think we’re fine. He was not personally angry at me. It was more just, I think, frustration.”
What are your thoughts about the Aston Martin’s debut in GTP at Sebring?
Jordan Taylor: “I think it’ll be great. It’s going to bring a lot of different eyes, especially with the sound of that car. I think it’s going to be a fan favorite just from the sound of it. It’s going to be interesting to see how it fits in. It’s a much different build of a car, so BOP-wise, it’s probably more difficult to balance. But, hopefully, on the IMSA side we can kind of learn from what the WEC does on the BOP to kind of get an understanding of how they get cars close and we could learn from that to balance these two different kind types of car. I haven’t raced in WEC around Hypercar, so that’ll be a little bit interesting to see strength and weaknesses, obviously under braking. I think it’s a tough one for them to debut at one of the toughest tracks. I think one of their cars had a pretty good Qatar reliability- wise, but I think Sebring is going to be a whole other animal. I think from the IMSA side we’re excited to have them and looking forward to more manufacturers joining as well.”
Any other thoughts on having a naturally aspirated engine competing against all these hybrids? Any advantage or disadvantage either way?
Jordan Taylor: “With the way motorsports is today, the advantage you have will be BOP and any disadvantage you have will be BOP to kind of make it as even as possible. So, there’s advantages you can have with fuel efficiency or temperatures with the way the brake systems work, the way traction controls intervening with different types of engines. I think with the way our sport is now is if you’re half a second off the pace, you’re going to get some more power or less weight and vice versus.”
What’s the most rigorous activity: Ultraman, the Twelve Hours of Sebring and hot temperatures or a chicken wing eating contest the day before the Twelve Hours of Sebring?
Jordan Taylor: “The chicken wing contest is a big one. We’ve had a few guys throw up after that over the years, especially with it being 80 degrees I wouldn’t advise it to any of the drivers to go compete. It’s all relative. An Ultraman, you pace it at a very easy level to get through and an Ironman you can race a little bit harder. When you come to a race like an Ironman or an Ultraman, I’m not trying to win it, so you’re not going to put everything on the line. But race day at Sebring my heartrate will be higher than any triathlon I do just because the level of intensity and the passion to win is higher. I’d say Sebring is up there. It’s on every driver’s list to win. So that’s where the intensity comes from. And the physical side is obviously always there with the bumps, the traffic, the nighttime with the lights makes it extremely stressful. It just has all the elements to make for a great sports car race.”
Though it’s half the distance of Daytona, it’s arguably tougher.
Jordan Taylor: “Daytona, you can do a three-hour stint in the night and get out and feel like you didn’t really do much. And Sebring, when we talk about stint lengths and you got to do a double, all the drivers are a little bit stressed of how that’s going to feel, especially in the heat of the day. Because you’re not just fighting the elements, you’re fighting the car the whole time, you’re saving tires, saving fuel, the tire degs are massive, so you’re just on edge the whole time. So, the physical side added in with the mental side is extremely exhausting. When you’ve cycled through the car two or three times, that adds up to when it comes to the end of the race. So, you definitely need to be on your game once the sunset comes.”
How has the change in manufacturer affected Wayne Taylor Racing’s chances to win?
Jordan Taylor: “I don’t think it changes much. We’ve had a long history at this race. I think our first 12 hour was 2014 as a team. So a lot of history at the track in the event that we can rely on changing manufacturer. A lot to learn, but I think with this class being around for three years now, the Cadillac group can kind of bring us up to speed extremely quickly and help from learning the setup side, the systems side, how to strategize all those things when we go to this event. I think we have a big head start. Let’s say if we got a Cadillac last year, it would have been way more difficult, but I think we’re going into it well prepared.”
Louis Deletraz: “I think it’s very interesting to have the switch because, as I said earlier, you learn from both sides and you can see the good and the bad. We’ve been very fortunate to be well prepared, spend time in the sim, and GM has really brought us up to speed fast. Early in the season, we were still discovering things, but we feel much more ready to go into Sebring. Definitely we keep learning every time we’re out on track, but I wouldn’t say the change is drastic. I think probably in the short term we’ll gain performance by being able to just work all together.”
What challenges does Le Mans bring?
Jordan Taylor: “I think there’s just so many unknowns for a team going there. Our technical director, Brian Pillar, went there with Ricky a couple years ago to support Ricky and spent the whole race with the team to kind of get a head start and understanding. A lot of the crew guys and engineers have had some level of experience, but there’s just so many new things. It’s a completely new rulebook. You’re dealing with a whole different group of people, a small language barrier. I think just understanding all the different rules. We don’t have slow zones in America, all those little things. I think the good thing is we do have some time to prepare. Obviously, you’d always want some more, but I think everyone knows how big the challenge is and how big the undertaking is, but they’re already doing their due diligence contacting people that have done the event before to kind of get some more insight. I’ve even been reaching out to some of the Garage 56 group to kind of get some help from them either from a logistics point of view or who they used, all little things like that. I think everyone’s kind of all hands on deck.”
Cadillac Racing Twelve Hours of Sebring overall victories 2024-2017
2023: No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R, start first – Pipo Derani, Alexander Sims, Jack Aitken
2022: No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R, start fourth – Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Neel Jani
2021: No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R), start sixth – Tristan Vautier, Loic Duval, Sebastien Bourdais
2019: No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R),start fifth – Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr, Eric Curran
2017: No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R, start sixth – Jordan Taylor, Ricky Taylor, Alex Lynn
Runner-up
2024: No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R, start second — Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande, Scott Dixon 2018: No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R, start 10th – Jordan Taylor, Renger van der Zande, Ryan Hunter-Reay
Poles
2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2018
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