Cadillac Racing has won the 2026 DHL Sustainable Endurance Award in the Hypercar category, a recognition presented by the FIA, ACO, and DHL in connection with the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The award cited Cadillac’s measurable progress across race logistics, hospitality operations, waste reduction, and community engagement as one of the most complete submissions the jury reviewed this year.
The operational logistics section carried weight. Cadillac increased sea freight for Wayne Taylor Racing equipment from 70 percent in 2025 to 90 percent in 2026, shifted U.S.-based staff to train travel between Paris and Le Mans, implemented road transport from the UK for JOTA, and stored or sourced equipment locally in Europe where possible. The freight-mode shift is the kind of change that requires advance planning and partner coordination; it is not a line-item substitution.
Cadillac’s catering program showed measurable improvement. The average carbon impact per meal dropped from 7.13 kg CO2e in 2024 to 6.49 kg CO2e in 2026 through menu redesign, reduced beef use, expanded plant-based options, local sourcing, and surplus food donations to Les Restos du Cœur. The jury called out the catering data specifically, which suggests other teams either did not measure per-meal carbon impact or did not present the data in comparable form.
The single-use plastic reduction effort produced concrete numbers. Cadillac installed five BWT water stations, distributed 1,000 reusable bottles for fans, eliminated single-use plastic in hospitality, and avoided approximately 4,000 plastic bottles. The program saved an estimated 114.8 kg of plastic and 319.3 kg of CO2. The reusable-bottle distribution extends the waste-reduction effort beyond the team’s direct operations into the spectator environment.
The hospitality infrastructure itself saw attention. Cadillac reused the hospitality structure, installed energy metering to establish a 2026 baseline, used LED lighting and efficient appliances, and implemented measures designed to reduce air conditioning demand. The energy metering is foundational work; without baseline data, incremental improvements are hard to verify.
Beyond environmental metrics, the submission covered responsible procurement practices, support for women in motorsport and STEM, and community engagement through a project with Gaston Bachelard School in Le Mans. The jury evaluated teams across six criteria: Sustainability Strategy, Environmental Commitment, Responsible Economy, Social Commitment, Communication, and Carbon Footprint. Cadillac’s submission addressed all six categories with direct ties to Le Mans operations.
Keely Bosn, accepting the award on behalf of Cadillac Racing, framed the recognition as a behind-the-scenes effort. “What makes this recognition special is that it celebrates work that happens behind the scenes,” Bosn said. “While endurance racing is about performance on track, it’s also about continuous improvement in everything we do, including our commitment to the environment and the community.”
The award adds a sustainability credential to a program that has built competitive momentum quickly. Cadillac earned the IMSA GTP Manufacturer Champion and IMSA Endurance Cup in 2023, finished third at Le Mans that same year in its return after a 21-year absence, and became the first American manufacturer since 1967 to sweep the front row at Le Mans in 2025. The operational discipline required to measure per-meal carbon impact and shift 20 percentage points of freight to sea transport is the same discipline that shows up in race execution.
Source: Cadillac. Images courtesy of Cadillac.
