Cadillac’s Le Mans Pole Effort Ends Without Podium Finish

Cadillac arrived at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans with high hopes after securing a 1-2 finish in Hyperpole for its factory-entered cars. Despite strong starting positions, neither Cadillac managed to finish on the podium after facing a series of challenges throughout the race.

The team struggled for pace early on, with both the #12 and #38 Cadillac Hertz Team Jota entries losing positions almost immediately. The #5 Porsche overtook them in the opening minute, and by the third hour, both cars had fallen outside the top ten.

As the race unfolded, both Cadillac entries worked to recover lost ground. The #12 car, piloted by Alex Lynn, Norman Nato, and Will Stevens, climbed back to finish fifth at the checkered flag.

This result later improved to fourth following the disqualification of the #50 Ferrari due to a technical infringement. Meanwhile, the #38 car, featuring Sébastien Bourdais, battled through several setbacks, including a front-left puncture, penalties for pit entry violations, and a trip through the gravel.

Despite these troubles, the #38 still finished seventh, just one lap behind the winners. Sébastien Bourdais commented that the outcome was in line with team expectations, stating, “We all knew it would be hard.”

He noted Cadillac’s continuing need for improvement, particularly in tire management over longer stints. The team showed strong pace on fresh tires and low fuel, but struggled to sustain speed as stints progressed.

Bourdais also recorded the fastest lap of the race with a 3m26.063s, showing what the Cadillac V-Series.R could achieve in ideal conditions. There were several moments of frustration for the Cadillac squad, especially regarding penalties and race control decisions during pit entries and under yellow flags.

Bourdais remarked that unclear signals and inconsistent officiating added unnecessary challenges. However, the drivers continued to push, focusing on extracting the best possible performance from their cars.

The 2025 race marked a new chapter for Cadillac, as the cars were now run by the British team Jota, moving away from previous operations by Chip Ganassi Racing. Team principal Sam Hignett described the event as “a really solid start to a long-term project,” suggesting further updates and improvements would come in future races.

Hignett admitted they learned a lot during the disjointed practice sessions and began finding speed only after unlocking key adjustments during the contest itself. Despite missing out on the podium, both drivers and team personnel acknowledged the increasing competitiveness of the Hypercar class at Le Mans.

Hignett remarked that securing a top-five finish would have been a solid result if offered before the event, given the level of competition across the field. The team now plans to focus on updates, aiming to find the missing performance necessary for future victories.

Cadillac’s 2025 Le Mans campaign highlighted both the potential within the V-Series.R platform and the obstacles still to overcome. As the team processes lessons learned from this year’s endurance classic, attention shifts to upcoming races and continued development, with a clear goal of returning to the podium in the world’s most famous 24-hour race.

Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.