Cadillac’s Bamber: “COTA is super challenging… a real test of endurance”
Cadillac is just one of three American manufacturers who will compete at the upcoming Lone Star Le Mans, round six of the FIA WEC, which springs back into action next week with a 6 hour race at COTA, Austin.
Alongside Ford (Proton Competition and its Ford Mustang LMGT3) and Corvette (TF Sport and the Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R), the Cadillac V.Series R which competes in the headline Hypercar category will be a firm favourite with the home fans.
One of the main reasons it is such a crowd-pleaser is the iconic sound of its engine, watch the video below to learn more about the 5.5 litre naturally-aspirated V8 engine which helps give the Hypercar its notorious roar.
New Zealand’s Earl Bamber and United Kingdom’s Alex Lynn have been enlisted to drive the No. 2 Caddy in Austin, with both drivers completing a test in the Cadillac V-Series.R last month to help prepare the team. Cadillac is only squad to have just two drivers competing - the other 36 cars will have three drivers sharing driving duties for the Lone Star Le Mans.
Lynn took up the story: “The test in Austin went well. The circuit had not been repaved before we tested, though it has been repaved since with the new F1 tarmac. That won’t be too much of a surprise with how our car will react. I believe our car works well on European tarmac tracks like Qatar and Imola, which recently were repaved FIA-grade tracks.”
The 30-year-old British driver continued: “COTA is a very technical track, very difficult to get right. There is a lot of lap time to be found with drivers exploiting the curbs. We don’t drive there a lot, so it’s a tough track to nail. But it’s a challenge we all enjoy. Sector 1 is by far my favourite. You’ve got that huge hill to Turn 1, then the big downhill sweeping into what is really a recreation of Maggots and Becketts from Silverstone. It really is amazing behind the wheel, and to watch from grandstands and viewing banks. Austin is such a cool place, too.”
Lynn’s team-mate Bamber also acknowledged the difficulties of driving a perfect lap at COTA, stating that the heat this year will pose an extra challenge.
“The track is super challenging and it’s going to be hot, so it will be a real endurance race for the cars and the drivers behind the wheel,” explained 34-year-old Bamber. “After the test there, we’ll be well-prepared and we’ll be able to lean on our American colleagues as well from what they know. A lot of people talk about the climb leading into the first corner, but actually I like the last sector with a really fast, long right-hand corner and the other fast corner to finish the lap.”
Tickets for the Lone Star Le Mans (30 August - 1 September) are still available HERE.
