- The documentary "No Perfect Formula" can now be streamed on YouTube
- The film documents Cadillac's road back to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2023
- Cadillac competed at Le Mans for the first time since the early 2000s
As it heads back to the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year, Cadillac is looking back on last year's breakout effort with a documentary. Titled "No Perfect Formula," it's available to watch now on YouTube.
The approximately 1.5-hour documentary follows Cadillac's return to Le Mans in 2023, which was made possible by a convergence of rules that allowed the latest Cadillac V-Series.R prototype to race in both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), which includes Le Mans. Cadillac had been racing only in IMSA under the previous ruleset.
2023 Cadillac V-LMDh race car
The documentary gives a bit of background on the development of the current Cadillac racing program, and follows the races leading up to Le Mans as buildup for the big event. It doesn't have a Hollywood ending. While one of the Cadillacs managed a third-place finish, it was Ferrari's day, with the Italian manufacturer scoring its first overall Le Mans win since 1965. Still, it was an impressive effort given Cadillac's underwhelming past performances.
Cadillac's first Le Mans entry was in 1950, Racer and sometimes sports car builder Briggs Cunningham entered two Cadillac Series 61 Coupe de Villes, one with an unsightly streamlined body that earned it the nickname "Le Monstre." Neither got anywhere near the podium, and Cadillac wouldn't return to Le Mans for decades.
From 2000 to 2002, Cadillac campaigned a series of prototypes dubbed Northstar LMP with middling results. So it's safe to say Cadillac's 2023 Le Mans campaign was its most successful yet.
Cadillac is back again for the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans, which starts June 15. Cadillac will field two V-Series.R prototypes in the top Hypercar class, while a third will be fielded by Whelen Cadillac Racing.