Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA begins its World Endurance Championship campaign at the traditional Imola circuit, boosted by strong results from last season and positive testing in Qatar.
Cadillac opens its 2026 WEC season at Imola with Team JOTA focused on a strong new start
The Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA begins its campaign this week in the FIA World Endurance Championship, the WEC, at the traditional Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, Italy. The season opener will be preceded by the official Prologue this Monday, April 14, which serves as a decisive test ahead of the race scheduled for April 19.
The activity at Imola marks the team’s first major commitment of 2026 and comes at a moment of confidence for Cadillac. After a solid eight-race campaign in 2025, the team closed last season with the brand’s first WEC victory and also secured three pole positions, reinforcing the potential of the Cadillac V-Series.R on the Hypercar grid.
In the No. 12 car, Norman Nato and Will Stevens return to the cockpit of the Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R, powered by the Cadillac 5.5-liter DOHC V8 engine developed specifically for the prototype. The duo showed consistency throughout last season alongside Alex Lynn, scoring points in every race and helping deliver the team’s victory in Brazil, as well as fifth place in the 2025 Hypercar Drivers’ Championship.
For the Imola round, however, Alex Lynn will be absent. The driver will also miss the Spa race while undergoing a planned procedure related to an ongoing neck issue.
In the No. 38 car, Earl Bamber and Sebastien Bourdais remain in the lineup after a season in which they secured three front-row starts and one podium finish. From Spa onward, the crew will also include Jack Aitken, endurance champion in the GTP class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. This weekend, however, the driver will be committed to the IMSA round at Long Beach, where he is competing in a dual program with Cadillac Racing.
Before traveling to Imola, the team completed two days of testing in Qatar and came away satisfied with the performance shown. During the preparation, the team completed nearly 450 laps, totaling around 2,500 kilometers, with a strong level of reliability from the car.
The 6 Hours of Imola will be contested on the 4.909-kilometer, 21-turn circuit, one of the most traditional tracks in world motorsport. After the Prologue on April 14, the schedule continues with two free practice sessions on April 17. On Saturday, there will be a third practice session, followed by qualifying and the 10-minute Hyperpole session. The race is scheduled to start on Sunday, April 19, at 1 p.m. local time.
With a strong recent record and consistent preparation, Cadillac heads to Imola aiming to turn the momentum from 2025 into a strong start to the new WEC season.
Source and images: Cadillac. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
