News Summary
- Team Penske is reportedly in discussions with Cadillac about taking over one or potentially two factory endurance programmes in 2028.
- The American organisation could replace Hertz Team JOTA in the WEC and Wayne Taylor Racing in IMSA, although neither arrangement has been confirmed.
- A separate Cadillac entry at the 2027 24 Hours of Le Mans is also under consideration as Roger Penske continues pursuing an elusive overall victory.
Team Penske is reportedly in talks with Cadillac over a potential factory partnership that could extend across both the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and IMSA SportsCar Championship from 2028. The negotiations represent a significant development in Roger Penske’s efforts to return to Le Mans after Porsche withdrew its factory Hypercar programme from the world championship.
According to Sportscar365, multiple industry sources have confirmed discussions between Penske and General Motors concerning the operation of Cadillac V-Series.R prototypes. The agreement could involve one or two factory programmes, potentially changing the manufacturer’s existing partnerships in both championships.
The discussions have reportedly accelerated in recent weeks, with a single-car appearance at the 2027 24 Hours of Le Mans emerging as a possible first step towards a larger commitment.
However, neither Cadillac nor Penske has confirmed an agreement, and the existing factory teams remain under contract through the end of 2027.
Penske could take over Cadillac’s factory programmes
The most significant development concerns the potential structure of the partnership.
Penske had previously been linked with a privately operated Cadillac Hypercar that would compete alongside the manufacturer’s established factory operation.
Now, the discussions reportedly include the possibility of Penske becoming Cadillac’s factory representative in one or both of the world’s leading endurance championships.
In the WEC, that could mean replacing Hertz Team JOTA, which has operated Cadillac’s factory Hypercar programme since 2025.
In IMSA, Penske could potentially assume the operation currently conducted by Wayne Taylor Racing, which runs two of Cadillac’s three factory-backed GTP entries.
Such an arrangement would represent a substantial change in Cadillac’s endurance strategy.
Rather than simply adding another V-Series.R to its racing activities, the manufacturer could reorganise its existing factory operations around Penske’s extensive technical and organisational infrastructure.
Porsche agreement creates opening for 2028
The timing of the discussions is closely connected to Penske’s existing relationship with Porsche.
The American organisation operated Porsche’s factory 963 programme in the WEC between 2023 and 2025, before the German manufacturer withdrew from the Hypercar category.
Penske continues to run Porsche’s factory GTP operation in IMSA, with the partnership scheduled to remain in place through the end of the 2027 season.
According to Sportscar365, there are no plans to extend the factory arrangement beyond that point.
Porsche is instead expected to concentrate its LMDh activities on customer entries, potentially ending its direct factory presence in the North American championship.
That would leave Penske with an established endurance racing organisation but without a confirmed manufacturer partnership for 2028.
Cadillac could provide an alternative that allows the team to remain competitive in IMSA while returning to the WEC.
The prospect is particularly attractive because Penske already has experience operating a factory programme across both championships.
Its infrastructure, personnel and technical expertise could make a transition to Cadillac more straightforward than establishing an entirely new organisation.
Penske considers Cadillac entry at Le Mans in 2027
Before any full factory programme begins, Penske could return to Le Mans with a single Cadillac V-Series.R in 2027.
The possibility has been discussed for several months, initially as a privately funded entry independent of the manufacturer’s established factory operation.
Sportscar365 now reports that a single-car programme at next year’s race appears increasingly likely.
Penske Racing president Jonathan Diuguid attended the 6 Hours of Barcelona in October, reportedly continuing discussions about the proposed entry.
A Le Mans-only programme could allow Penske to begin working with Cadillac before its Porsche agreement expires.
It would also provide an opportunity to gain experience with the V-Series.R ahead of a possible full-season commitment.
However, a 2027 appearance remains subject to agreement between the organisations and the necessary race entry arrangements.
Penske has not announced a car, driver line-up or operational structure for the event.
Roger Penske continues pursuit of first Le Mans victory
The discussions are closely linked to Roger Penske’s ambition of winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans outright.
Despite decades of success in American motorsport, including numerous Indianapolis 500 victories, an overall victory at the French endurance classic remains missing from his record.
Penske came close in 2025, when its Porsche 963 finished second behind the privately entered AF Corse Ferrari 499P.
However, Porsche’s subsequent withdrawal from the WEC interrupted the team’s pursuit of that objective.
A Cadillac partnership would provide a route back to the race with a manufacturer already competing for overall victories.
The V-Series.R has established itself as a competitive Hypercar, while Cadillac’s broader endurance programme includes factory-backed operations in both the WEC and IMSA.
A full-season WEC programme could also improve Penske’s preparations for Le Mans.
Competing throughout the championship would provide experience with the car, tyres, regulations and operational demands before the French race.
That approach could be preferable to a programme focused exclusively on Le Mans, particularly if Penske intends to challenge consistently for overall victory.
JOTA and Wayne Taylor Racing face uncertain futures
A potential agreement with Penske would raise questions about Cadillac’s existing factory partnerships.
Hertz Team JOTA has operated the manufacturer’s WEC programme since 2025, taking over the role previously held by Chip Ganassi Racing.
The British organisation has established a close working relationship with Cadillac and remains responsible for its factory Hypercar entries.
JOTA co-owner Sam Hignett declined to confirm whether the partnership would continue beyond 2027 when questioned by Sportscar365.
“I would say we’re very happy and let’s leave it at that,” Hignett said.
“We’ve got a great partner in Cadillac and we’re very happy.”
In IMSA, Wayne Taylor Racing maintains an extensive relationship with General Motors, spanning more than two decades.
The team currently operates two Cadillac V-Series.R prototypes, while Action Express Racing runs the manufacturer’s third factory-backed entry.
That longstanding relationship could complicate any potential reorganisation.
Cadillac’s existing agreements with JOTA, Wayne Taylor Racing and Action Express Racing are reportedly confirmed through the end of 2027.
Consequently, any changes involving Penske would most likely take effect from 2028.
The manufacturer has not publicly indicated that it intends to replace its current partners.
Penske faces different challenges in WEC and IMSA
Although Penske has substantial experience in both championships, a return to the WEC would require rebuilding parts of its European operation.
Following Porsche’s withdrawal from Hypercar at the end of 2025, the organisation retained only a limited workforce at its Mannheim facility in Germany.
A full-season WEC programme would therefore require additional personnel, equipment and infrastructure.
The situation in IMSA is different.
Penske continues to operate two Porsche 963 prototypes in the GTP category, maintaining an established organisation capable of competing at the front of the championship.
Transitioning that operation to Cadillac could be less demanding than rebuilding its European programme.
However, both possibilities depend on the commercial and technical terms of any agreement with General Motors.
The scope of Cadillac’s factory support, staffing arrangements and responsibilities for car development would all need to be determined.
Cadillac and Penske decline to confirm agreement
Neither organisation has publicly confirmed the reported negotiations.
A General Motors spokesperson declined to comment when approached by Sportscar365.
A Team Penske representative also declined to discuss the proposed 2028 arrangements.
“We have no comment or updates on 2028,” the representative said.
Those responses leave several important questions unanswered, including whether Penske would operate one or both factory programmes and whether Cadillac intends to maintain its existing partnerships.
The reported negotiations nevertheless represent a significant development from the privateer Cadillac proposal previously examined by GRANDE PRÊMIO.
That earlier possibility focused on adding a privately operated V-Series.R to the WEC field without replacing JOTA.
The latest discussions suggest that a much larger factory partnership is being considered.
For Penske, the objective remains unchanged: returning to Le Mans with a competitive prototype and pursuing an overall victory.
The difference is that Cadillac could now provide the foundation for a programme extending beyond a single race and potentially across both major endurance championships.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following developments involving Cadillac, Penske and the future of factory endurance racing, with coverage of the World Endurance Championship and international motorsport.
