Alonso and Kobayashi bring 'new ideas' to Daytona 24 Hours team

Daytona winner and IMSA SportsCar Championship Prototype class champion in 2017, Taylor is joined in the WTR Cadillac by Alonso, Kobayashi and full-time co-driver Renger van der Zande for the season-opener this year.

WTR topped two of the six 'Roar Before the Rolex 24' test sessions at Daytona over the weekend, and was a regular threat to ultimate pacesetter Mazda Team Joest.

Taylor, who won last season's finale at Petit Le Mans and has also been part of the GTE Pro class-winning line-up at Le Mans, said he was already learning from his high-profile temporary team-mates.

"It's hard to tell pace-wise where we are but from a car point of view, we made a lot of progress with some changes," explained Taylor.

"It's also good to get Alonso and Kobayashi through the car to get them comfortable driving-wise and seat-wise and ergonomics-wise.

"That's really what this test is all about - getting everyone comfortable, getting driver-change practice done, solid routines that they're not used to that we do, pitstop procedures.

"I think we got a big headstart for the race. By the time we get back here, it'll be just a matter of some finetuning.

"We knew those guys would fit in really well. It's just about understanding driving-style differences, whether they like the same kind of car we like, same set-up, if they need big inserts or what they like with seatbelts.

"But they fit in super-well and they bring a tonne of experience, so it's been interesting to hear their feedback and their direction.

"They have so much experience, new ideas that maybe we don't think about set-up-wise and driving-style-wise.

"I don't think you ever stop learning and these are two guys we can learn a lot from."

The WTR Cadillac was only sixth fastest in the mock qualifying session held to determine pit selections, and in which the Mazdas unofficially broke the 26-year-old track record.

But Taylor said that position and the one-second gap to the front was not representative.

"The car got damaged in the Bus Stop on our best timed lap," he explained.

"If we could've had a couple more laps, we could've been in line with the other Cadillacs, but it's just the Roar so it's not the end of the world."

Alonso, who won Le Mans last year, is embarking on his second Daytona 24 Hours having contested it with United Autosports in 2018.

His Toyota World Endurance Championship team-mate Kobayashi, twice a Le Mans runner-up and holder of the qualifying record at the track, is making his IMSA and Daytona debut with WTR.