Cadillac/Michelin collects Brazil 1-2
Cadillac's strong showings since the start of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) have paid dividends in the form of a win for the V-Series.R at Interlagos, São Paulo, Brazil. Lynn/Nato/Stevens (#12) and Bamber/Bourdais/Button (#N°38) made it a one-two finish for the American firm on medium MICHELIN Pilot Sport slicks. The #5 Porsche 963 was third.
Cadillac followed up its pole-winning performance at Le Mans with an assertive display at the 6 Hours of São Paulo. Alex Lynn started the ball rolling by qualifying the #12 car on pole position with a new Hypercar track record (1m22.570s), while the #38 sister prototype almost enabled the make to monopolize the start's front row but incurred a penalty.
At lights-out, Julien Andlauer got away well in the #5 Porsche to appear in front on Lap 1. The Cadillacs soon took control before going on unchallenged all the way to the flag, however, with the Lynn/Nato/Stevens car crossing the line by a margin of 57 seconds.
Team Penske Motorsport's #5 and #6 Porsches ended up third and fourth, while the #20 BMW snatched fifth late on to beat the two Peugeot 9X8s which nonetheless secured Team Peugeot TotalEnergies' best result of the season so far.
Three-time Le Mans victor Ferrari failed to extend its unbeaten run of four wins this year when its best-placed 499P (#83) finished just eighth, chased by the team's #50 and #51 prototypes in 11th and 12th spots. Toyota's GR010 Hybrids also had a tough time at Interlagos (14th and 15th).
As the track temperature climbed to 30°C, the majority of the Hypercars ran medium MICHELIN Pilot Sports. “The new asphalt at Interlagos brought a fresh challenge compared with 2024,” noted Pierre Alves, the manager of Michelin Motorsport's endurance racing programs. “This year, our partners chiefly ran our medium slick while keeping a careful eye on wear which proved higher than expected due to the new surface. The medium compound's longevity enabled the left-hand tires to be double-stinted.”
FIA WEC action will resume after the northern-hemisphere summer-break with a trip to Austin, Texas, USA, for early-September's Lone Star Le Mans.