Corvette factory driver Charlie Eastwood is adding as much value as possible to General Motors’ global racing operations in his new role as a simulator driver for Cadillac’s F1 team.
The 30-year-old Irishman spent time on the 2025 plate-spinning GT3 program in FIA WEC, IMSA and the European Le Mans Series with Corvette Racing partner teams TF Sport and DXDT, as well as traveling back and forth to Charlotte, North Carolina to help launch Cadillac’s F1 project. It’s been a very busy year, but the long days and nights on and off the track have been worth it, and his stock in the industry has increased significantly as a result.
In an interview with RACER ahead of the FIA WEC season finale in Bahrain, Eastwood revealed that he has been part of the Cadillac effort since March, long before last month’s announcement.
When asked about his packed schedule, he said, “It’s such a great project to be a part of.” “This is a very difficult task because of the schedule, from confirming entries in October last year to putting cars on the grid in March next year. Because we were uncertain about getting entries, we were unable to hire staff or invest money in advance.
“In fact, I got the job very quickly. When I finished my ‘gardening vacation’ at Mercedes F1 (where he was a simulator driver for multiple seasons), I sent a message to Eric Warren (GM’s vice president of World Motorsports Competition) and within 15 minutes I had an email chain that led to a hire. That’s the great thing about General Motors: They take action.”
“You can see that in the speed at which they’re getting this project off the ground. It would have been hard to get a GT3 program off the ground back then, let alone an F1 program. It’s crazy to see people being hired and resources being put into making it happen. But there’s a lot of motivated talent coming from multiple companies.
“It’s also cool to work from the beginning, because when I was at Mercedes (F1), they had won multiple titles when I arrived. At Cadillac, it’s totally different because they don’t even have a lap’s worth of data. At Mercedes, you go to practice every day and if you don’t learn a bucketful when you go home, that day sucks.”
“Now the roles are reversed. A lot of the people at the top level have great experience, so I bring knowledge to the project, but for some of the guys at the GM Technical Center in Charlotte, it’s probably just a NASCAR project, and that’s not far off.
“Everything is happening at such a speed and scale that no one knows what will happen in a year or two.”
Eastwood is aiming to win his second LMGT3 title this year with TF Sports in the Z06 LMGT3.R. James Moy Photography/Getty Images
What does this mean for his career goals and future in sports car racing?
“It’s all up for debate,” he said. “I have aspirations on the track. There’s no driver who doesn’t want to be in a hypercar, for example. But I love spending time with the Corvette. I asked the same question because I want to add as much value as possible to General Motors. So if that means doing every race under the sun in a Corvette, that’s great. Or if that means 50 days in simulation with a Cadillac F1, I don’t care.”
“Obviously I would like to remain in WEC as the main program, but if I am recognized as having value on the F1 side then I can move in that direction. There are many options and paths, but I am just trying to find a balance.”
Before completing his 2026 commitments, Eastwood has a big weekend in Bahrain ahead of him. At TF Sport, he won his second LMGT3 title this year with a Z06 LMGT3.R and will be hoping to build on his success with the British team at ELMS, which won the championship at the final race of the season in Portimao last month.
Along with teammates Louis Andrade and Tom van Rompuy in the No. 81 TF Sport Z06 GT3.R, Eastwood is within 24 points of WEC LMGT3 championship leader Manthey First Holm with eight hours of racing left in the WEC season and has 39 points to go.
The Bahrain 8 Hours is an event that has produced many thrilling title deciders over the years. This circuit is tough on brakes and tires due to its layout and surface that wears easily. The 8-hour race format is often more challenging to work with, as it allows for a wider range of strategies than a standard 6-hour race. By the time the sun goes down and the floodlights come on, all championship contenders will need to be on their A-game to end the season on a high.
Eastwood believes Bahrain’s characteristics will play to the team’s strengths. James Moy Photography/Getty Images
Despite the difference in the standings to overcome and the strength of his opponents in his class, Eastwood is confident he can realize his dream of becoming WEC champion for the first time. Aside from the poor performance at COTA, the No. 81 car trio has accumulated strong results in the past four races, winning last time at Fuji and taking podiums at Le Mans and Sao Paulo, and will be heading into the final race with confidence.
“There will be a lot of strategy deployed due to the surface. Teams will bet on half-sets and single changes of the left rear tire,” he explained. “And the transition from day to night changes the temperature levels.
“Unless there’s a long safety car, it’s hard to catch a car that’s going far out even if you can create a gap. That’s why you often see teams giving their bronze drivers a lot of new tires early on. It’s common to win FCYs, but in a minute If you lose too early, the chances of the pros recovering in the second half are slim to none.It’s a race that’s difficult to manage, but the Corvette is strong there, and it’s resistant to tire wear.This is a circuit that shows its strength in races and has the advantage of tires that are resistant to wear.
“But there are also chances where you have to roll the dice. And in the title fight you have to be solid, you have to stay clean. The most difficult element is not to get too excited at the start of the stint and break the tires.”
“We’ve seen the GT3 manufacturers get very close together over the last few rounds, and it’s all about execution, which is great. With TF, we know that execution is what the team does. And with Corvette, the speed at which the car was developed in two years was insane.”
