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Frederik Vesti steps up to full-time role as Cadillac Racing details 2027 IMSA lineup

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Earl Bamber shifts to endurance duties as GM's flagship prototype program locks in its driver roster for a tenth year in IMSA competition

For the third consecutive season, Cadillac Racing will campaign a three-car lineup of Cadillac V-Series.R prototypes across two partner teams in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Grand Touring Prototype class. Fresh off their championship-winning campaign, Cadillac Whelen returns with the traditional #31 entry, alongside Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing’s #10 and #40 cars.

The sole change to Cadillac Racing’s full-season roster occurs at Cadillac Whelen, where Frederik Vesti steps into a full-time seat in the #31 Cadillac Whelen machine alongside reigning GTP champion Jack Aitken. Earl Bamber shifts to an IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup role, while the fourth driver for the Rolex 24 At Daytona will be announced at a later date.

Meanwhile, Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing maintains complete continuity across both entries. In the #10 Cadillac, Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque return for their seventh consecutive season together since 2021. The duo recently snapped a two-plus-year winless streak with a victory at the six-hour Motul Endurance SportsCar Grand Prix at Road America. Will Stevens joins them as the third driver for the three longest Michelin Endurance Cup rounds. In the #40 Cadillac, Jordan Taylor and Louis Delétraz enter their fourth straight year together, supported by Norman Nato for the endurance events.

As Cadillac enters 2027, the brand celebrates 10 years since the premiere of the original Cadillac DPi-V.R in the 2017 WeatherTech Championship. Since joining IMSA prototype competition in 2017, Cadillac Racing has accumulated 36 DPi and GTP victories—the most of any manufacturer – along with 115 total podiums, including 30 in GTP and 85 in DPi.

“We are proud to carry the momentum of our championship-winning 2026 season into 2027 with a driver lineup that combines proven IMSA experience, championship-caliber performance and the depth required to compete across the full GTP schedule,” said Eric Warren, Vice President, Global Motorsports Competition for General Motors. “Our three Cadillac V-Series.R programs have demonstrated remarkable consistency and pace, and this roster gives each team a strong platform for the 2027 season. The goal is clear: defend our titles, continue building on Cadillac's endurance racing legacy and pursue success at every round, beginning with the Rolex 24 At Daytona.”

The driver shift at Cadillac Whelen reflects Action Express Racing's strategic evolution. Gary Nelson, general manager of Action Express Racing, explained the full-season driver change.

“We are very pleased with our driver lineup, and we kept it the same for 2027 with the only change being Fred moving to full time and Earl doing the endurance races,” Nelson said. “We think so highly of all three guys, and they delivered a championship for the #31 Whelen Cadillac. We are looking forward to defending our championships and I can’t think of a better way to do that than a great run in the 2027 Rolex 24 at Daytona.”

Vesti’s progression closely mirrors that of his teammate, Jack Aitken. Both were race-winning Formula 2 title contenders seeking Formula 1 drives. Aitken logged one Grand Prix start with Williams Racing at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain, while Vesti served as reserve driver for Mercedes-AMG F1. Both successfully transitioned to sports car racing globally across LMP2 and GT categories, with Vesti making his IMSA debut in LMP2 with Tower Motorsport at the 2024 Motul Petit Le Mans.

Aitken initially joined Cadillac Whelen as a third driver, winning the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring alongside Pipo Derani and Alexander Sims, before stepping into a full-time drive when Sims returned to GT competition. That path culminated in Aitken’s 2026 championship. Reflecting on the team's culture during the WeatherTech Night of Champions celebration, Aitken shared a quote from longtime Action Express Racing crew chief Bill Keuler, who addressed the adage that "the grass is always greener on the other side" by advising to "make your own grass greener." Aitken noted that the grass at the #31 team is "pretty green."

#10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R: Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque, Will Stevens

Photo by: Jake Galstad / Lumen via Getty Images

Vesti now follows that exact trajectory. Having served as the endurance driver for two years, gaining experience at eight of the nine GTP tracks and filling in for Bamber during select sprint races, Detroit remains the only new venue on his 2027 schedule.

“Very excited for the 2027 season,” Vesti said. “Obviously, 2026 was an incredible year altogether. I really enjoyed my time on the team. Just so proud of all of us and everyone, mechanics, engineers, drivers, we've done an amazing job. But looking into 2027, I'm very motivated and very excited to be back with Action Express, but in a full-time capacity doing all nine rounds of IMSA. That's always been part of the plan with the Whelen Cadillac team, a few learning years and then finally stepping up to fight for the championship, which I can't wait. We are keeping consistency in the team, which means a lot to me. I think we are by far the strongest driver line up on the grid and I'm looking forward to continuing that journey. So yeah, thank you to Gary Nelson, the whole Action Express team, and of course, GM and Whelen Cadillac for the extension and very excited for the future.”

For Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing, 2027 brings welcome operational stability after several years of major transitions, which included expanding to two cars, switching manufacturers to Cadillac, and adapting to an evolution package alongside new Michelin tires.

“Continuity is key and I’m excited to be returning in 2027 with the same driver lineup,” Wayne Taylor said. “Delighted to welcome Norman Nato back in the #40 cockpit and will lean on the knowledge that he will bring to us from WEC. Given our win and double podium at Road America and additional podiums at Detroit and Petit, I feel confident that we have the right mix of drivers and am excited to go testing.”

The breakthrough performance at Road America, where the #10 took the victory and the No. 40 claimed third, provided a crucial boost after a challenging stretch.

“The most important thing was keeping everybody positive and keeping the passion,” Wayne Taylor reflected. “To get a win and a third just shows to me that our work ethic, dedication, and focus as a team has paid off. This is really great and I’m very happy for everyone.”

“It was a full team effort,” Ricky Taylor added. “So proud of how the team has stuck with it and kept working towards this sort of result, and just very thankful to Cadillac for sticking with us through all of it. They've always had our back, and they've emphasized how it's one team and that support goes a long way to keeping our confidence because our confidence has been challenged a lot with the lack of results. So, finally getting a win and not just a lucky one. It was a strong performance all day, so we feel like this is something we can build on.”