Two-time Le Mans winner Earl Bamber will race for Cadillac in subsequent yr’s IMSA SportsCar Championship in what seems set to be a twin programme straddling the World Endurance Championship.
Bamber, winner on the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2015 and 2017 with Porsche, was introduced as a full-season driver for the solo Motion Categorical Racing Cadillac V-Collection.R LMDh when the Common Motors model took the wraps off its full line-up for its three IMSA GTP class entries on Wednesday.
Cadillac won’t be revealing its roster for the 2 Jota WEC entries till after subsequent month’s collection finale in Bahrain, however it’s anticipated that Bamber will transfer over to the British staff from the Ganassi squad with which he has raced within the collection for the previous two seasons.
The New Zealander, who joined Cadillac for an IMSA programme with Ganassi in 2021 after his departure from Porsche, has made no secret of his want to race in IMSA’s GTP class alongside his WEC commitments with the model.
No affirmation of Bamber’s twin programme was forthcoming from Cadillac forward of its WEC announcement, which is known to be due in mid-November.
However Bamber alluded to a joint programme in his statements within the IMSA announcement from Cadillac.
#02 Cadillac Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac V-LMDh: Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Richard Westbrook
Photograph by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Pictures
“Hopefully I can convey expertise from the WEC and IMSA, and I believe it’s going to additionally convey a bit little bit of continuity,” he stated.
“We have now that on the engineering aspect and hopefully on the motive force aspect that shared data from each platforms brings us ahead.”
What is just not clear is what programme will take priority for Bamber when the 2 collection have a conflicting date in Could with the Spa WEC spherical and the Laguna Seca IMSA occasion going down on the identical weekend.
The identical would apply to Le Mans ought to Motion Categorical return to the double-points spherical of the WEC, which it has contested as an extra Caddy entry for the previous two editions.
Bamber is changing four-time Sebring 12 Hours winner Pipo Derani at Motion Categorical, winner of the IMSA GTP title in 2024, after the Brazilian introduced his resolution to depart Cadillac again in June.
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Briton Jack Aitken will stay as a full-season Motion Categorical driver for a second season, whereas 2023 Method 2 runner-up Frederik Vesti is available in because the staff’s further driver for chosen long-distance races in Michelin Endurance Cup phase of the IMSA collection.
The 22-year-old Dane, who’s a Mercedes Method 1 reserve driver this yr, is getting his maiden likelihood with a producer in sportscar racing after taking his first steps within the self-discipline this yr in LMP2 within the European Le Mans Collection.
His season with the Swiss Cool Racing squad included two podiums at Paul Ricard and Portimao in Could and October respectively aboard one of many staff’s ORECA-Gibson 07s.
Bamber, who this yr contested three IMSA enduros with Corvette Racing in GT Daytona Professional, described the possibility to return to IMSA with Motion Categorical as “an thrilling alternative”.
“I’ve actually missed IMSA, driving in America,” he added.
Motion Categorical staff boss Gary Nelson stated: “We’re all very excited to have such a tremendous group of gifted drivers lined up for the 2025 season.
“Jack Aitken and Earl Bamber convey a terrific mixture and bringing in a younger, gifted Frederik Vesti for endurance races provides to what we’re making an attempt to perform.”
