Jack Aitken on his season and future with Cadillac: "Bring ideas to the manufacturer and be part of the process"

Jack Aitken has solidified his position as one of the best drivers in sportscar racing over the past years. His 2026 campaign on both sides of the Atlantic has seen him lead the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship by a comfortable margin with just one race left in the season, and take his first WEC podium with a runner-up finish at the Lone Star Le Mans last month. GT REPORT spoke to him at Fuji about his season so far and his outlook for the rest of the year.

A competitive season for Cadillac

Cadillac enters Fuji on a strong run of results, with the #12 taking pole and finishing third at Interlagos, and Aitken’s own #38 finishing second at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA). The manufacturer now sits fourth in the manufacturers’ championship, behind the title-contending trio of Toyota, BMW and Ferrari.

On Cadillac’s season so far, Aitken believes there is still more to achieve in the three remaining rounds. “Generally we were very competitive,” he said of the car’s speed, “but we didn’t always manage to get a result with the speed that we have. Le Mans was very difficult – to be in the fight for the win, going to the halfway point looking really strong, then having a mechanical problem was a real shame.

“It’s promising that we have this pace. Now, for the last couple of races, we’ll try to get some good results and end the season strong.”

The Cadillac driver describes Fuji as similar to COTA, where he took a strong result last month, despite the rougher surface and higher temperatures. “The combination of the high-speed section and the very technical parts is quite close,” he said, although Fuji is unique in its own way, with sector 3 placing specific demands on the prototypes. “The track has many different lines that you’re able to take. It’s very important to have a mechanically strong car rather than just downforce.”

Aitken attributes much of his success this season to his Jota teammates Earl Bamber and Sébastien Bourdais, and highlights the trust between the trio. “I try to learn as much as I can from them, as they have many more years in sportscars than me, and there’s always something to learn. The Cadillac group has lots of different styles of drivers and I can take something from them. It’s my second year racing with Bamber and we raced in IMSA and in WEC this season, so I know him extremely well and I trust him a lot, and it’s the same with Sébastien Bourdais. He is someone who has more experience racing than Earl and me combined, so he knows a lot about what you need to make a car fast.”

“Happy to be busy”

On his dual programme in IMSA and WEC, which he shares with teammate Earl Bamber, Aitken told GT REPORT that it could continue into next season, but admitted the decision is up to Cadillac and depends on the schedule and any clashes. “The car is the same in IMSA and WEC, so when I go from the WEC Cadillac to the IMSA Cadillac, there is nearly no difference, which means I am getting double the track time of some of my competitors and it’s really valuable.” The downside is just as obvious, as the long schedule and travel between races can be very fatiguing, but he is “happy to be busy and doing more racing”.

On the difference between IMSA and WEC, the Cadillac driver said that the championships are very different despite the car being nearly identical. “For a race like Daytona or Sebring, the first three quarters of the race are not so important and are about keeping the car in one piece and out of trouble. Then the final hour or two is when the real racing begins.

“In WEC, it’s more like a traditional race where you have to be fast from the start to the finish.”

On his future, the Anglo-Korean is pleased with his current drive and says he is having a lot of fun racing the V-Series.R. “I am very happy with where I am at Cadillac. You have the opportunity as a driver to bring ideas to the manufacturer and be a part of the process to develop these parts and ideas, and it’s really interesting work. I want to win the big races like Le Mans and Daytona, keep winning championships and hopefully do it with teammates that I enjoy working with.”