P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Autosport Top 50 of 2023: #41 Sebastien Bourdais
Sebastien Bourdais had a challenging year with only one win in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, but he showcased strong performances throughout the season. Despite encountering misfortunes, such as his car catching fire multiple times, Bourdais consistently proved to be one of the fastest drivers in the Caddy V-Series. Stand-out races for him included Daytona and Petit, but his best performance came at Le Mans, where he not only was the top Cadillac driver but also the best among the LMDh pack. Although he narrowly missed out on winning his home race with Peugeot in 2009 and 2011, Bourdais demonstrated his desire and speed in his pursuit of an overall victory at Le Mans. Joining Cadillac and Ganassi in 2022 after his IndyCar career ended, Bourdais had the opportunity to chase his Le Mans dream in the LMDh era. While fourth place at Le Mans left him two laps behind due to a messy race, he believes that with flawless execution, they could have been in the fight against Ferrari and Toyota. Looking ahead, Bourdais acknowledges the increasing competition and the need for a perfect race to secure a win at Le Mans. Despite having a class win with Ford, he considers himself at peace with not having won the race overall. Bourdais has returned to the top 50 for the first time since 2011 and hopes to continue his strong form in 2024.
