Jack Aitken says he wants to compete with Cadillac as a factory driver for years to come, following the announcement last week that he has been signed for a full-season IMSA seat with Action Express in 2024.
The 27-year-old Briton, who has been competing with Action Express GTP in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup rounds this year, will partner Pipo Derani at all 10 IMSA races in 2024 in the seat currently filled by the departing Alexander Sims.
Cadillac’s decision to make Aitken a full-season driver comes after he played a crucial role in delivering Cadillac’s famous Sebring 12 Hours victory back in March. The start of the season, he said, proved to be a catalyst for conversations about his future.
“They hadn’t ruled it out in terms of progression to a full-time season when I first signed, but there was no timeline initially or any guarantee because I was an unknown quantity,” Aitken told DSC. “They wanted to see how it all went. The first couple of races went very well for us though, and they were very pleased with how quickly I got up to speed.
“We started to talk a little bit after that. When it became clear Alexander would be moving back to Corvette, it all came together quickly. I’ve known about this for a while now, so it’s nice to have it out there.”
Competing in IMSA full-time will allow him to gain experience at multiple tracks in the USA that he has yet to race on, and develop a closer relationship with Pipo Derani, who he feels has been a key part in his development as a prototype driver.
“He’s very established there, so it would have been easy for him to throw his weight around and make sure I knew I was number two,” he explained when asked about his rapport with the Brazillian. “But there has been none of that, he’s shown me the ropes, given me advice on track and on the American culture. He’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever had.”
The intention is for Cadillac to be back at Le Mans and have as good a chance of winning as possible
This new role could also see him return to the Le Mans 24 Hours for a second time. It’s an event that he has unfinished business at after his chances of a strong finish on his debut this year ended on the Mulsanne Straight on the opening lap. In the tricky mixed conditions, he lost control of the #311 Action Express Cadillac and went head-on into the barriers, forcing the car in for repairs.
“The intention is for Cadillac to be back at Le Mans and have as good a chance of winning as possible,” he said. “How that looks, we won’t be sure until the entry is out. But Cadillac wants as many cars as it can because it’s a numbers game. If our car is going to make the trip again then of course I’d love that.
“I had a horrible experience this year, but that’s motorsport and we’ve had great races elsewhere as a team. They were extremely kind after the incident, they picked me up and kept pushing me on. I want to go back, Cadillac does as well, so we will see what happens.”
In addition to competing in IMSA’s GTP class next year full-time, Aitken remains keen to continue racing GT3 cars, as he has done since 2021.
“I definitely want to try and make this a long-term thing (competing with Cadillac). But I obviously don’t want to rule anything out, or put myself in a box,” he told to DSC. “I would like to keep up some of the GT racing. Where I race will depend on calendars, as any GT racing won’t come at the cost of the LMDh programme.”
Next year, fellow GM brand Corvette’s new customer racing programme will debut with the brand new Z06 GT3.R, but is not expected to have a presence in DTM. However, Aitken says that contractually his expanded role as a Cadillac factory driver will not prevent him from competing with brands outside of the GM family going forward.
Aitken is currently in the middle of his maiden DTM campaign with Swiss outfit Emil Frey, which he has competed with since he got his first taste of GT racing. Just last weekend he scored both his first pole position and his race win in the championship at the Lausitzring.
While he hasn’t signed a deal yet for 2024, remaining in DTM is an option as there are no clashes between IMSA WeatherTech and the ADAC-run championship.
“Obviously GM has a presence in GT racing now and will continue to grow that,” he continued. “We have had conversations about that, but they are happy with what I am doing now, combining the DTM programme with IMSA because there aren’t any Corvettes racing.
The IMSA drive with Cadillac is the flagship programme for me
“It’s not an ironclad ‘you can’t drive anything else’ type of deal. They want me to drive in the GM family where possible, but if that’s not possible then they are happy for me to get the extra seat time. It’s a case-by-case basis and they are quite generous.
“I am looking to keep up my racing outside of IMSA, but clearly the IMSA drive with Cadillac is the flagship programme for me. I love the circuits, I love the paddock and the team. I can’t ask for more, so I want to be there for a while and make my mark there.”
Image credits: Cadillac, ADAC
