A mosaic of several small factors tipped the scales in Porsche’s favor against Cadillac – Tom Blomqvist on strategy, pit space and top speed
This time it wasn’t meant to be. In the end, the Action Express Cadillac 7 (Cameron/Nasr/Newgarden/Campbell) at the 2024 24 Hours of Daytona. The fact that it was not enough for Cadillac to take its fifth victory was due to many small factors that added up.
Tom Blomqvist, who has won Daytona with Meyer Shank Racing in each of the past two years (the drivers were officially allowed to keep the controversial victory from 2023), takes it sportingly. “We narrowly lost,” was his succinct conclusion immediately after the end of the race.
“The car was fast, the crew did a great job during the pit stops and my team-mates were excellent in the car as always. The yellow phase completely destroyed our chances. Above all, the position in the pit lane really hurt us.”
His team-mate Luis Felipe “Pipo” Derani explained the disadvantage of Penske being closer to the pit exit than Action Express Racing: “They were able to see where we were coming from and undercut us with short-fueling to get out in front of us.”
“In the end, that’s part of it. There’s nothing better than battling wheel-to-wheel with great opponents and finishing an incredible race the way it’s been going all along. It was fantastic for the fans to watch and we’re here to enjoy moments like that too. “
Blomqvist in the style of Häkkinen
Back to Blomqvist: “I improved in the last few stints and closed the gap. We opted for an early stop to try and catch them with an undercut.” That was exactly what paid off for Action Express. Because the Porsche stopped later, it needed slightly less fuel at the last stop under yellow.
The undercut also failed, but Blomqvist performed a sensational overtaking maneuver with the help of a GT car that was reminiscent of Mika Häkkinen’s legendary overtaking maneuver against Michael Schumacher at the 2000 Belgian Grand Prix in Formula 1 on the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.
The maneuver would probably have gone around the world as a “race-winning overtake”. So it remains a nice anecdote and a scene that the son of rally legend Stig Blomqvist can frame for himself
WHAT A MOVE!@tom_blomqvist passes for the overall race lead in the Rolex24 at @Daytona!
: @NBC and @Peacock pic.twitter.com/tjMsz9vpKU
– NBC Sports (@NBCSports) January 28, 2024
It is very likely that the Cadillac V-Series.R would have won the race without the subsequent caution for the burning Vasser-Sullivan Lexus 12 (Telitz/Montecalvo/Thompson/Miyata), as it was slightly stronger than the Porsche in the midday heat.
But in the wrong places. Due to the balance of performance, the Cadillac was 20 kilograms lighter than the Porsche, but also had slightly less engine power. It was precisely this scenario that Sebastien Bourdais had warned about before the race, which is why he had shifted the role of favorite to Cadillac.
Blomqvist confirms: “I had the feeling that we had a pace advantage at the end of the race, but especially at the end the Porsche was very strong on the straights and we were very good in the infield. It’s the old familiar game that a car that is faster on the straights always has an advantage in the duel. “
Cadillac easier on tires, Porsche stronger straight ahead
He was also unable to benefit from the traffic this time: “I had the feeling that there weren’t as many cars on the road at the end. He made a small mistake once when he went too far, but that was no chance for me. “
Another factor: the restarts. Here, the heavier Porsche seemed to make the tires work faster, as Blomqvist notes: “They were really strong on the restarts – even more so at night when it was cooler. We were a bit stronger when we had to manage the tires, for example during double stints. Sometimes they were fast, sometimes we were.”
“We both fought with full commitment. There was a lot of adrenaline involved and in the end it was so close. Hats off to them, they were really fantastic. “
Same energy Rolex24 IMSA F1 pic.twitter.com/Su0ZGmCtbZ
– Autosport (@autosport) January 28, 2024
Despite narrowly missing out on victory, Cadillac is satisfied. “It’s great to be on the podium and build on last year’s success [title],” says Cadillac boss John Roth. “Every team member can be very proud of the work done on the 31, both technologically and in terms of durability.”
“Today’s podium finish demonstrates the remarkable skill and determination of the Cadillac staff and is an important milestone as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the V-Series. Of course, our goal is always to win, so we will enjoy the moment, learn and focus on Sebring. “
