Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA came away short-changed from last month’s 6 Hours of Imola, after showcasing podium-challenging form in the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship curtain-raising contest. At Spa-Francorchamps next weekend (7-9 May), it is aiming to set the record straight.
Norman Nato put the #12 Cadillac V-Series.R fifth on the grid in the headlining Hypercar category in Italy, courtesy of a stellar effort in Hyperpole. That paved the way for team-mate Will Stevens to produce a similarly strong double-stint early on in the race as he grittily took the fight to the pace-setting Toyotas and Ferraris, determinedly overhauling Miguel Molina for third position at one-quarter distance.
The British star posted a new fastest lap in his dogged pursuit of James Calado and Brendon Hartley ahead, but a subsequent drive-through penalty for a yellow flag infringement dropped the car down the order, and around a circuit where overtaking is a fine art, that restricted Stevens and Nato to a frustrated 13th at the chequered flag.
At Spa, the duo will become a trio as 2023 FIA WEC LMP2 champion Louis Delétraz joins the #12 line-up in-place of regular driver Alex Lynn, who continues his convalescence from a planned procedure for an ongoing neck issue.
“Being part of the Cadillac family will make the adaptation easier,” opined the Swiss star, who is a member of the American marque’s GTP class assault in the US-based IMSA series. “Adding to this, Will and Norman are good friends and have raced with each other for several years. I’ve competed against JOTA many times in the past and they’ve always been hard to beat, so I’m looking forward to being with them at Spa.”
Indeed, JOTA made history in the 2024 edition of the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, as the first privateer outfit to triumph outright in FIA WEC’s Hypercar era. Stevens was part of the driving crew that day, and two years on, the former LMP2 title-winner is targeting another champagne celebration.
“I’m looking forward to getting back on-track so soon after Imola,” the 34-year-old remarked. “We can take a lot of positives from that first race, despite not getting the result we could have achieved. We welcome Louis into the #12 line-up whilst Alex is still recovering. Norman and I both know Louis well, so we’re confident we can get off to a successful start together at Spa. It’s always an awesome track to drive, and I can’t wait to get going!”
In the sister #38 V-Series.R, Sébastien Bourdais and Earl Bamber battled to a points-scoring eighth-place finish from 13th on the grid in the season-opener. The pair will be flanked by Jack Aitken in Belgium, as the Brit prepares to make his full-time FIA WEC bow.
“Racing at Spa is a real treat,” enthused 2023 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTP category champion, Aitken. “It’s a fantastic and historic track, and being close to the UK, we always get a lot of friends and family making it over, too. The team had a strong showing in the first race, which gives us a solid foundation for Spa. We’re continuing to learn more about our aero package and working to extract as much as we can from it in the run-up to Le Mans.”
“Spa is a great track to drive,” echoed Bourdais, who finished sixth in the Ardennes last year. “It’s challenging and has a mix of everything – high-speed corners, medium-speed corners and it’s very technical. Imola showed the potential we have, so we’ll be aiming for another strong weekend. If we can start further up the grid, it looks like we may be able to hold our own and fight for podiums.”
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