Ricky Taylor will pilot the No. 12 Cadillac V‑Series.R for Jota at the World Endurance Championship’s Lone Star Le Mans in Austin, stepping in for the injured Alex Lynn.
New role for the IMSA star
Taylor joins teammates Norman Nato and Will Stevens, making his debut for Jota’s factory squad despite having raced for the British team at Goodwood and a Bahrain rookie test last year. The former Le Mans‑24 Hours champion, who has competed regularly in WEC six‑hour events since 2013, will use his deep familiarity with the Cadillac LMDh platform, which he drives full‑time for his family’s Wayne Taylor Racing team in IMSA.
“I’m really excited to join Cadillac Hertz Team Jota for the COTA round of the WEC championship,” Taylor said. “I’ve always been a big fan of the team and it was great working with them this year at Le Mans as a teammate car. I know Will and Norman well from their time with WTR. COTA is an amazing track and it will be great to go back to Austin. Cadillac Hertz Team Jota has been so strong all year, we’ve all been watching and cheering them on. I’ll be doing my best to help contribute to another good result at COTA.”
Impact on the Jota lineup
Jota has confirmed that Alex Lynn will return in Barcelona and Monza after a structured rehabilitation programme for a neck injury. Taylor will be confined to the Austin event; the team may run a two‑driver crew at the 6 Hours of Fuji on 27 September. Speculation is circulating about a full‑time drive for Taylor with Jota in 2027.
Other entrants and class dynamics
Across the field, 17 Hypercar entries will compete alongside 18 LMGT3 cars for a total of 35 entrants. The TF Sport factory driver Nicky Catsburg will return in the No. 33 Corvette Z06 GT3.R, replacing Nicolas Varrone who covered for him at the Sao Paulo 6 Hours. Eduardo “Dudu” Barrichello will make his WEC comeback in the Austin race, co‑driving the No. 23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 with Jonny Adam and Gray Newell; Kobe Pauwels substituted for him in the Brazilian event.
Aston Martin will field a unique two‑driver lineup in the Hypercar class, making it the sole team with such a configuration. Harry Tincknell and Tom Gamble will share the No. 007 Valkyrie LMH, while Alex Riberas and Marco Sorensen will lead the No. 009 entry.
Race outlook
With the Lucas‑based grid now featuring Jota’s new driver and a single two‑driver Hypercar side from Aston Martin, the Lone Star Le Mans promises an intensive start to the second half of the season.
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