When Cadillac confirmed its entry into Formula 1 as the 11th team for the 2026 season, it signified a major moment—not just for the brand, but for the sport’s expansion. Leading this ambitious venture is Graeme Lowdon, a man with experience in setting up teams from scratch, most notably at Manor/Marussia. In recent weeks, Lowdon has given several interviews laying out how the development is going, how they plan to pick drivers (and reserves), and what their goals are when the lights go green next year.
Here’s what we know so far—and what Cadillac realistically believes they can deliver.
Update on Cadillac F1 Team Drivers and Colton Herta’s part to play
“It’s On Schedule” – Car Progress & Development
One of Lowdon’s clearest messages has been that Cadillac’s technical progress is meeting its targets. According to his updates:
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The 2026 car is being built under the new regulations—chassis and power unit rules that the whole grid will be adapting to. Cadillac is “laying up the first two race chassis” and have already done a prototype chassis which has gone through many of the FIA homologation, crash, and impact tests.
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Lowdon says that building a prototype early was strategic: it lets the team test and refine structural integrity, durability, safety before moving to the final race car builds.
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He also updated that they are making good progress in setting up facilities in Silverstone, Charlotte, and Indiana, consolidating the technical workforce, hiring key engineering staff (with veterans like Pat Symonds, Nick Chester involved) and covering homogenous design and supply elements.
Lowdon has repeatedly emphasised: they know there’s no margin for error. As he put it, “We know it’s a huge challenge” to hit deadlines, crash test standards, and to have everything ready for the first race.
Drivers & Reserves: Cadillac’s Approach
Cadillac have already locked in their main driver pairing for 2026, opting for two seasoned veterans: Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez. Team Principal Graeme Lowdon has explained that experience, adaptability, and the ability to give clear technical feedback were decisive factors in choosing them. Both drivers bring a wealth of knowledge from top teams, and their input will be invaluable in shaping Cadillac’s first car under the new regulations.
However, the team has yet to confirm its reserve and development drivers. Lowdon has been clear that no offers have been made yet, though discussions are ongoing. The reserve role will be crucial—not just as a backup on race weekends, but also for additional simulator work and car development throughout the season. Lowdon has suggested that merit and technical ability will be the guiding principles in the final selection.
Realistic Goals: What Success Looks Like in 2026
Lowdon has also been cautious—but optimistic—about what Cadillac can aim for in its debut season. He’s been clear that their first objective isn’t winning races, but building respect, reliability, and operational stability.
Some of the realistic goals he’s put forward:
Execution over glory
Cadillac plans to focus on doing the basics well. That means hitting homologation deadlines, passing crash tests, ensuring the team can operate with reliability, running the car, and making sure operations on race weekends are smooth. They believe that earning respect from competitors—showing they’re not just “new, under-powered, unreliable”—is a core measure of early success.
Reliable performance & consistency
The early build phases (prototypes, tests) are being used to iron out issues so that in first few races they can finish, avoid big issues, and consistently bring data to improve. It’s less about podiums at first and more about avoiding zeroes (DNFs, retirements) and technical problems.
Respect & credibility
Lowdon has made clear that, given how competitive F1 is and how tight regulations are, a new team getting respect from rivals is already meaningful. If Cadillac can show pace relative to other teams, perform solidly in mid-field, they’ll consider that a success.
Testing & previews
They’ll have a promotional filming day early January, where the car will first turn wheels publicly. That day is important for internal confidence and public perception. It gives fans and rivals alike a first look at the car in motion.
Challenges & Caveats
Of course, Lowdon has not sugarcoated how hard this will be. Some challenges he has flagged:
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The regulation changes in 2026 (chassis, power units, tyres) mean everyone is starting from somewhere new—but incumbents have experience in car development, infrastructure, racing data. Cadillac must catch up fast.
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Crash-tests, homologation, manufacturing scale: building race-quality cars is complex and regulated heavily. Any delays in those bureaucratic or technical tasks can throw back the schedule.
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Getting operational consistency: races aren’t won or lost just by car design; pit stops, strategy, team coordination matter hugely. As a new team, there will likely be growing pains. Lowdon seems aware.
What to Watch Going Forward
Looking ahead, here are some markers to track whether Cadillac is meeting Lowdon’s expectations:
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First public rollout / test laps (filming day) early in 2026: how reliable that is, how smooth the rollout is.
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Whether they hit all homologation and crash tests before deadlines, without last-minute problems.
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How well support staff, engineers, and logistics are organized—factory infrastructure in Silverstone, Indiana, and Charlotte, simulator work, etc.
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Which reserve/test drivers are picked after “no offers yet”; who gets chosen and how much experience they bring.
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Early performance in 2026: not expecting podiums, but are they finishing races? Are they competitive with other mid/late teams? Are they avoiding big errors?
Final Thoughts
Graeme Lowdon’s comments make clear that Cadillac’s approach is grounded in realism. They are not pretending to be championship contenders in year one. Their goal is to be prepared, consistent, to build respect, and to avoid the kinds of startup pitfalls that plague new teams. With experience behind the scenes, strong driver picks (Bottas and Pérez), and a disciplined build schedule, Cadillac looks like it’s putting itself in the best possible position to be competitive early—not immediately at the front, but certainly not a backmarker after the first few races.
If all of Lowdon’s checkpoints are met, 2026 could be a quietly strong debut for Cadillac—one that lays the foundation for future growth rather than quick but unsustainable glory.
