Will Stevens in WEC 2026: The Ex-F1 Driver Who Found His True Home in Endurance Racing with Cadillac

Will Stevens: The Endurance Redemption of the Man Who Never Quit

Formula 1 can be cruel. For every Michael Schumacher or Ayrton Senna who arrives at the elite paddock and rewrites motorsport history, there are hundreds of drivers who come through the junior categories, reach the pinnacle of world motorsport and leave without the sport ever having given them a real chance to shine. Will Stevens is one of those drivers. But what distinguishes Stevens from most such cases is what came afterwards: a career in endurance racing that stands as one of the most complete and meritorious of the modern generation.

William Stevens was born on June 28, 1991 in Rochford, Essex, in the southeast of England. Like so many British drivers of his generation, he began his journey in karting in 2003, at just twelve years of age. His progression was solid and consistent, winning karting championships at national and international level, including the Asia-Pacific Championship title in 2007, which opened the doors of formula racing.

Stevens climbed through the Formula Renault categories over several years, displaying considerable talent but never quite finding the decisive leap many expected. In 2012 he made his debut in Formula Renault 3.5, a category considered at the time to be the highest rung on the ladder before Formula 1. In 2013 he scored five podiums and finished fourth in the standings. In 2014, with two victories and four podiums, he looked like a serious candidate to make the step up to the top category.

And the step came, although by an unconventional route. In November 2014, with the Caterham F1 team in severe financial difficulties and in administration, Stevens paid £500,000 for the opportunity to race at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. He finished seventeenth, one lap down. It was not a glittering debut, but it was enough to convince Manor Marussia to sign him as a full-time driver for 2015.

The 2015 season was tough. Manor Marussia was the slowest team on the grid, the only one whose objective was not to score points but simply to finish races. Stevens was professional and consistent throughout, although he was gradually displaced by Alexander Rossi in the final stages of the season. At the end of 2015 he announced he would not continue with the team, closing his Formula 1 chapter with 20 starts and zero points.

But Will Stevens’ story was far from over. In 2016 he made a decision that would prove prophetic: he turned to endurance racing. First with Manor in LMP2, then with G-Drive Racing at Le Mans, Stevens discovered that endurance cars suited him perfectly. His ability to manage tyre wear, maintain concentration during hours of racing and adapt to changing conditions in long-distance events was exceptional.

In 2017 he won the GTE Am class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with JMW Motorsport, driving a Ferrari 488 GTE alongside Dries Vanthoor and Rob Smith. It was the first of his two triumphs in the world’s most famous race. The second came in 2022, now in the LMP2 class and with Jota, the team that would become his definitive home in motorsport. That same year he also won the WEC Drivers’ title in LMP2 with Jota, crowning one of the most outstanding chapters of his career.

The natural evolution was the transition to the Hypercar class when Jota partnered with Cadillac. In 2025, Stevens, alongside Alex Lynn and Norman Nato in the Cadillac number 12, achieved something very few trios manage in the WEC: scoring points in every single race of the season. Eight from eight. They also contributed to Cadillac Racing’s maiden WEC victory, at the Interlagos Six Hours in Brazil, where the number 12 car led a historic one-two for the team. Three pole positions in 2025, including locking out the front row in Le Mans qualifying with both Cadillacs. They finished fifth in the Drivers’ Championship, a result that understates the consistency of their performances.

For 2026, Stevens continues with the same team, the same car and the same teammates, now adding another year’s experience with the Cadillac V-Series.R to push towards even more ambitious results. In a WEC that has evolved into one of the most competitive and spectacular championships in world motorsport with Hypercars from manufacturers including Toyota, Ferrari, Porsche and Peugeot Will Stevens has become one of the most complete and respected endurance drivers on the planet.

CHRONOLOGY

1991 — Born on June 28 in Rochford, Essex, United Kingdom.
2003 — He begins his karting career at the age of 12.
2007 — Wins the Asia-Pacific Kart Championship.
2008-2011 — Formula Renault 2.0 and Eurocup.
2012 — Debut in Formula Renault 3.5.
2013 — 4th in FR 3.5 with five podiums.
2014 — 6th in FR 3.5. Marussia F1 Reserve. F1 debut in Abu Dhabi with Caterham.
2015 — Full season in F1 with Manor Marussia. 20 exits, 0 points.
2016 — Transition to endurance motorsport (LMP2 with Manor and G-Drive).
2017 — Victory in GTE Am class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Ferrari 488 GTE.
2019 — McLaren development driver.
2022 — WEC Champion in LMP2 with Jota. Second victory at Le Mans (LMP2).
2024 — Jota Racing partners with Cadillac. Debut in the WEC Hypercar class.
2025 — With the #12 Cadillac: points in all races. Cadillac’s first victory in WEC (Interlagos). Three poles. 5th in the Drivers’ Championship.
2026 — Continues with the #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA in WEC and IMSA.

• CURIOSITIES
• Stevens is one of the few drivers to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in two different classes: GTE Am (2017) and LMP2 (2022).
• The Lynn/Nato/Stevens trio was the only crew in the 2025 WEC to score points in every single one of the eight races.
• “I’ve made no secret of my intention to be with JOTA for the long haul and to do this with Cadillac makes it even more special.” — Will Stevens.
• His F1 debut with Caterham in 2014 reportedly cost him £500,000 of his own money.
• He has been a McLaren development driver since 2019.

Sources: FIAWEC.com, GMAuthority.com, Motorsport.com, MotorsportMagazine.com, McLaren.com, Endurance-Info.com, GM News, IMSA.com, CarRacingReporter.com