Aitken, Taylor to Turn Laps in JOTA Cadillacs in Bahrain Test

Photo: Javier Jimenez/DPPI

Jack Aitken and Ricky Taylor will turn laps in Hertz Team JOTA’s two Cadillac V-Series.Rs in Sunday’s Bahrain rookie test, it has been announced.

The two IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship regulars, who are also Cadillac factory drivers, will get their first taste of the Dallara-chassied car on the Bahrain International Circuit for the single-day test.

JOTA regulars Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn will each drive a maximum of five laps in the Hypercar class entries, for setup purposes.

Aitken has been linked to a dual FIA World Endurance Championship/WeatherTech Championship program next year, potentially replacing the retiring Jenson Button in the No. 38 JOTA Cadillac, with the Englishman understood to be not returning to DTM next year.

He was already confirmed last week in continuing with Action Express Racing in the IMSA GTP class alongside Bamber for a season-long campaign.

“I think this is going to be another good opportunity for cross-pollination across the Cadillac Racing programs and I’m keen to again work with Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA after seeing them in action at Le Mans earlier this year,” said Aitken, who has three previous Le Mans starts with Action Express.

“We’ve had some interaction through the program already, but it will be good to first-hand try their car and see how things are done in the WEC as well.

“It will be an exciting weekend for me and a nice end to the season.”

Taylor, meanwhile, will be climbing back behind the wheel of a JOTA Cadillac for the first time since running one of the team’s Cadillacs up the hill in July’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, subbing for the team’s regular drivers who were on WEC duty in Sao Paulo that weekend.

“I am looking forward to being a part of it and to get the experience of driving the JOTA Cadillac,” said Ricky. “My focus is to learn from the team and from GM about the Cadillac that races in WEC with JOTA and how they do things differently to us in the States with WTR.”

Sports car rising star-turned NASCAR phenom Connor Zilisch, who narrowly lost out on winning this year’s Xfinity Series championship despite having a season-high ten wins, was preparing to also test one of the JOTA Cadillacs but has been ruled out due to not having enough ACCUS points needed to be eligible to test a Hypercar in an official WEC session according to a Cadillac spokesperson.

In 2023, current NTT IndyCar Series driver Kyffin Simpson participated in the rookie test with the then-Chip Ganassi Racing-run Cadillac squad, while Frederik Vesti got his first laps in the car last year, prior to his partial-season Action Express effort in the WeatherTech Championship in the 2025 season.

Last year’s test also saw Dani Juncadella test the car for the first time, with the Spaniard having since been confirmed with Genesis Magma Racing for the 2026 WEC season.

Source: Sports Car 365