A little more than one year previously at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Cadillac were finally awarded the green light as the world of Formula One's most recent entrant for 2026. Constructing the organization from scratch has involved a frenetic work rate that the team principal, Graeme Lowdon, has likened to the Apollo program. As Formula One descends on the Vegas strip this race weekend, Cadillac understand the deadline is approaching.
The Countdown to Australia
At the final race of the campaign to be staged in the US, with just over 100 days to go before they make their debut for the first time in Melbourne at the 2026 opener, Cadillac have made significant progress but, in what must seem like a monumental task, they are cognizant there will never be sufficient time.
The technical director, Nick Chester, became part of the embryonic operation in early 2023 not long after it was created, when the team were without even an confirmed place. He has been at its heart from that point and has a knowing grin when considering the experience.
“There might be five minutes reflecting at what the team has achieved and say: ‘Incredible, how impressive what we’ve done in less than three years,’” he says. “Then the very next instant you realize: ‘Yeah, we still have a significant amount to do.’”
A Unique Challenge
The CTO achieved victories at the Renault team in Fernando Alonso’s victorious years of 2005 and 2006 and was in command of engineering strategy at the recently formed Mercedes Formula E team, but nothing has been quite like the task of introducing the all-American Cadillac name, a manufacturer-backed entry supported by the corporate entity, GM, into the pinnacle of motorsport.
“Building an grand prix team from nothing, when are you ever going to get a chance to do that?” he observes. “It's unparalleled. In an established team you won't have the chance to alter organizational mindset.”
With each passing day that goes by thoughts are increasingly concentrated on the impending critical moment in Australia and targets are being managed.
“You have to assume that a brand-new squad coming in is likely to start at the back but just making it to the starting line will be an accomplishment in itself,” Graeme Lowdon noted earlier this year and while Nick Chester echoed this he believed the squad had a point to prove as well.
“Our primary goal we aim to demonstrate is that we belong on the grid,” he says. “So we show up and we perform competently. We aim to demonstrate that we are a serious contender executing the proper actions on the track. When we have demonstrated that we are a legitimate team, then we aim to demonstrate progression subsequently.”
Driver Lineup and Team Building Drive
In August they recruited Sergio Perez and Bottas as their drivers for the 2026 season, a duo remarkable for their invaluable experience in competing at the leading positions in two of the sport’s biggest teams, Red Bull and the Mercedes team, and Bottas expressed the attitude of combative optimism.
“Naturally, we have a realistic outlook,” Bottas stated. “We face a huge amount of work to do, and we expect most likely a tough opening, because this is Formula One. But we aren't joining to finish last. In my view given this organization, with these individuals, this staff, there’s no reason why we won't be able to advance swiftly to a competitive level and achieve good results.”
To realize that ambition staff acquisition has been in full swing, with staff now reaching in excess of 400 and scheduled to reach the goal of 600 members quickly. In addition to their existing facility at the Silverstone circuit, the organization are in the midst of building an HQ at Fishers in the Indianapolis area and there is the GM works in North Carolina, where they are building the center to build the 2029 engine, planned for the 2029 season – for now they will use Ferrari power units – and the aerodynamic facility in Germany. It is a sophisticated structure, different from the direction in Formula One for increased consolidation, and has inspired the new cultural approach to which Chester referred.
Apollo Model
“We've drawn heavily from the NASA moon mission,” stated the team principal ahead of the British GP in mid-season. “We’re realistic, we know how challenging it is. The timelines, are extremely compressed. Well, it's not a space expedition, but it can seem that way.”
So they have embraced, rather than the usual hierarchical system, a non-hierarchical approach similar to that of Nasa’s, where there were a range of specialist groups all working on different aspects of the mission at a variety of locations.
“When you must follow a process where someone has a problem and they report it to their supervisor, that leader communicates with a manager in another department, it travels back down, it’s super slow,” notes the CTO. “So we empower team members to handle things directly. Moving away from managerial sign-off for everything is so much cleaner and more rapid.”
What Lies Ahead
The success of this nimble methodology will be proven in the pressure of racing when the season begins and there is a considerable amount on the line for F1, too. The Cadillac team have recruited as their test driver the emerging American Colton Herta
