Why Cadillac aren't in F1 just to make up the numbers and can upset the pecking order

In February 2025, General Motors had its bid accepted by the FIA to join F1. 11 months later, Cadillac took to the track for the first time during testing, marking a hugely impressive feat. But that is just how the American team want it.

During their car unveiling via a Super Bowl commercial, the use of President John F. Kennedy's 'We choose to go to the moon' speech showed that the American team are prepared to push the boundaries and be different from other brand new teams in the pinnacle of motorsport.

"This wasn't about landing on the moon. This was about the launch. This is the start with the tagline, 'Our mission begins,'" Cadillac CEO Dan Towriss explained to GPblog and others after the team's 2026 machine reveal.

But it's not just a mission for the 2026 season. Bold statements and a wealth of experience brought into the team illustrate a project that wants plenty of success at the front of the grid.

The new kids on the block may surprise a few people during their debut season, and they could shock many in a few years.

Getting off on the right foot couldn't have been more important for Cadillac coming into a maiden campaign amid a regulation overhaul, and they did just that.

While Williams could not make it to the first winter test of the season in Barcelona, Cadillac did so starting from scratch, completing 164 laps to get some important miles under their belt.

The first big box of 2026 was ticked off admirably, leaving Towriss full of pride and praise for his team for their work.

"I'm very impressed, even just seeing the magnitude of the work, the scale, the complexity of what goes into a Formula 1 car," the American exclaimed to GPblog and others.

Getting to Barcelona and completing the week-long test was a monumental moment in itself, but the opening race of the campaign at Albert Park will still be a figure that looms large for Cadillac.

However, they have loaded their team up with experience in 2026, and that is worth its weight in gold to settle any nerves and build an impressive culture during their maiden campaign.

That was underlined when the signings of Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas were made official, bringing 27 seasons of Formula 1 experience to the fore.

With championship-winning seasons and multiple regulation changes overseen by both drivers, a perfect line-up transpired for Cadillac and Towriss coming into the 2026 season.

"Checo and Valtteri have been very instrumental in providing feedback on the car. The drivers are obviously an important element," said Towriss concerning the work done by the two drivers.

But the vital experience being instilled into Cadillac isn't just coming from the drivers. The top brass at the American team is bristling with motorsport pedigree, not least of all from new team principal Graeme Lowdon.

The 60-year-old played a key managerial role at Manor Motorsport in Formula 1, holding the chief executive officer role from 2010 to the end of the 2015 season, while also overseeing its World Endurance Championship programme.

Bringing in a shrewd operator in the form of Lowdon to help cement Cadillac's place in the world of F1 is another huge dose of invaluable experience, and it's a move that has been years in the making.

"I love working with Graeme. I've been working with Graham on this project for a number of years now, so it isn't that he just showed up on the scene as team principal," Towriss declared.

It's that indispensable experience that has brought an ardent focus on the team's future, shaping a project with lofty ambitions of growing into an F1 stalwart, not just focusing on the upcoming season.

Cadillac's development of its own power unit for the 2029 season and beyond emphasises that commitment towards the pinnacle of motorsport, a commitment that has six-time Grand Prix winner Perez assured that "Cadillac is here to do great things".

As a result, Towriss was keen to point out that a set points target in 2026 may not be at the forefront of his mind.

"Points would be kind of an arbitrary target," the American explained as he cast his eye towards Cadillac's debut season.

There is seldom short-term thinking at Cadillac. Ambitious thoughts towards long-term success are coursing throughout the team, highlighted by Perez's confident claim.

"What we're looking at is being successful in the sport over the long term. We spent a lot of time in the press talking about the entry process and building a team from scratch, but now, it's all about racing," Towriss stated.

The words are bold and brazen, encapsulating the American spirit this team will bring to the grid as the 11th team. They may not make a major mark in 2026, but there is hope and expectation for what might come. Time will tell whether it comes to fruition.