Cadillac’s Grand Prix Journey Begins

The mantra “Failure is not an option” echoes through the halls of the Cadillac Formula 1 team, as they embark on a critical phase of their grand prix trajectory. With countdown clocks ticking in their worldwide outposts, including Silverstone, Charlotte, and Indianapolis, the US-owned team is gearing up for its major launch deadlines.

Preparing for the Grand Debut

Team principal Graeme Lowdon is adamant that they will be ready for their grand debut as F1’s first expansion team since 2016. “That’s not negotiable,” he told Motorsport.com. The team is continuously building up its European Silverstone base, hiring personnel at a rate of over one person a day.

Key technical leadership has been in place for some time, with former Renault engineer Nick Chester as technical director, former Williams man Jon Tomlinson as head of aerodynamics, and John McQuilliam, who worked with Lowdon at Manor, as chief designer. The team can also lean on the experience of Pat Symonds as engineering consultant, among others.

Alongside its European hub in Silverstone, Cadillac will also be based at Andretti Global’s brand-new US headquarters in Indiana as well as a General Motors facility in Charlotte, North Carolina. It will also continue using Toyota’s wind tunnel in Cologne.

Building for the Future

Lowdon is excited about the future, especially the new flagship headquarters in Indianapolis and the potential it holds for Formula 1 fans in the US. He acknowledges the challenge of managing multiple sites but sees it as an opportunity.

Lowdon has learned from his past experiences of building an F1 team from scratch, particularly the importance of sticking to the fundamentals. The approval to join as an 11th team at last November’s Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend was a relief and a joyful experience for him.

Selecting the Drivers

One of the next crucial decisions for Cadillac is picking its drivers. The intention is still to have an American driver in one of its cars, with Colton Herta being a prime candidate pending an FIA superlicence. Other experienced drivers like Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez are also potential candidates.

Lowdon remains coy about the team’s decision on an American driver but emphasizes that they will select drivers on merit, not just based on nationality. He also notes that the team is here to stay and fans can expect to see an American driver in the future.