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Jack Aitken Steps In for Jenson Button in Cadillac’s 2026 WEC Team
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Highlights
- Jack Aitken replaces Jenson Button in Cadillac’s 2026 WEC line-up
- Aitken to drive #38 Cadillac V-Series.R with Bamber and Bourdais
- Aitken’s first full WEC season after multiple Le Mans appearances
- Aitken continues IMSA racing, teaming with Bamber at Action Express
- #12 Cadillac car retains Lynn, Nato, and Stevens for 2026
- Cadillac praises Aitken’s skills, aiming for strong 2026 performance
Jack Aitken will replace Jenson Button in Cadillac’s 2026 World Endurance Championship lineup with the factory‑affiliated Jota operation, following Button’s retirement.
Aitken will race the #38 Cadillac V‑Series.R with Earl Bamber and Sebastien Bourdais. It is his first full WEC season after four Le Mans starts.
He has raced Cadillac in IMSA since 2023, already familiar with the LMDh-based V‑Series.R that competes under Hypercar regulations in WEC’s Balance of Performance framework.
Jack Aitken replaces Jenson Button in Cadillac’s 2026 WEC lineup with Jota.
Aitken integrated with Jota at the Bahrain rookie test, sharing driving with Ricky Taylor and building procedures around traffic management, tyre warm-up, and hybrid deployment.
Cadillac’s WEC structure remains stable. Only the #38 changes, while the #12 retains Alex Lynn, Norman Nato, and Will Stevens into 2026.
Lynn has been a Cadillac factory driver since 2022. Stevens’ Jota links pre-date Hypercar, and Nato arrived during the 2024 Porsche 963 campaign.
Parallel to WEC, Aitken continues in IMSA’s GTP class with Action Express, again partnering Bamber, with Frederik Vesti joining for the endurance rounds.
Aitken stays in IMSA with Action Express; Frederik Vesti joins for endurance rounds.
Running both series strengthens setup transfer, energy management strategies, and pit choreography, areas that typically decide Hypercar races under tight BoP windows.
The move ends Aitken’s DTM tenure with Emil Frey Racing, as he forgoes a fourth season to focus on prototypes.
Jota and Cadillac evaluated alternatives, including Antonio Felix da Costa and Mick Schumacher. Schumacher’s mooted split program collapsed before the Austin WEC round.
Cadillac program manager Keely Bosn cites Aitken’s speed, technical feedback, and competitive edge, aligning the 2026 roster around continuity and incremental performance gains.
The #12 Cadillac remains unchanged with Alex Lynn, Norman Nato, and Will Stevens.
The V‑Series.R is proven on reliability. 2026 priorities center on qualifying execution, tyre degradation control, and caution windows, particularly at Spa, Fuji, and Le Mans.
Aitken’s full-season adaptation, while balancing IMSA mileage, will be a key storyline as Cadillac targets sustained podium contention.
Visual Summary
🏁
Jenson Button
retires
➡️
🏎️
Jack Aitken
joins Cadillac WEC
➡️
Cadillac WEC 2026:
Aitken IN | Button OUT
➜ WEC Full-Time
Aitken steps up for his first full WEC season with the #38 Cadillac.
Teammates: Bamber, Bourdais
Teammates: Bamber, Bourdais
⚡ Dual Programs
Will continue IMSA with Action Express (2nd in 2024),
and no return to DTM in 2026.
and no return to DTM in 2026.
🏁 Button Retires
Ends nearly 30 years in racing.
Leaves Jota door open for new energy.
Leaves Jota door open for new energy.
⏩
4x Le Mans (Hypercar)
1st full WEC season, 2 parallel programs
Fresh power for Cadillac
1st full WEC season, 2 parallel programs
Fresh power for Cadillac
🏆
James William covers the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, from the Rolex 24 at Daytona to sprint-race formats. His reports include prototype performance reviews, GT class battles, and pit-stop strategy insights for endurance-racing fans.
