A little more than a full year in the past at the Nevada Grand Prix, Cadillac were at last given the go-ahead as F1's most recent participant for 2026. Constructing the organization from scratch has required a hectic pace of work that the team boss, Graeme Lowdon, has equated to the Apollo program. As the sport arrives on the Vegas strip this race weekend, Cadillac understand the deadline is approaching.
The Countdown to Melbourne
At the last event of the campaign to be held in the America, with approximately a hundred days to go before they take to the track for the maiden outing in Melbourne at the first race of 2026, the Cadillac F1 project have advanced rapidly but, in what must seem like a sisyphean task, they are cognizant there will never be adequate time.
The CTO, Nick Chester, joined the newly formed team in the spring of 2023 shortly after it was formed, when the team were without even an confirmed place. He has been at its heart ever since and has a amused expression when thinking about the journey.
“You can have a short period looking back at what you’ve done and go: ‘Incredible, how impressive what we’ve done in a short three-year period,’” Chester states. “Then the next minute you consider: ‘Well, we still have a great deal to do.’”
A One-of-a-Kind Challenge
The CTO enjoyed success at the Renault team in the driver Fernando Alonso's title-winning seasons of the mid-2000s and was in control of technical development at the new Mercedes electric racing team, but nothing has been quite like the challenge of introducing the all-American Cadillac name, a works entry backed by the parent company, General Motors Corporation, into the pinnacle of motorsport.
“Building an F1 team from scratch, when are you ever going to get a chance to do that?” he says. “It's unparalleled. In an existing team you rarely get the opportunity to alter organizational mindset.”
With each passing day that goes by minds are more focused on the impending moment of truth in the Australian GP and goals are being handled.
“One must presume that any new team joining the grid is probably going to finish last but just making it to the starting line will be an feat in itself,” Graeme Lowdon stated this year and while the CTO shared this view he felt the organization had a reputation to build as well.
“Our primary goal we intend to prove is that we should be there,” he emphasizes. “So that we show up and we operate well. We aim to demonstrate that we are a serious contender executing the proper actions on the track. After we prove that our credentials are solid, then we will focus on progression after that.”
Driver Lineup and Hiring Drive
In August they recruited Sergio Perez and Valtteri as their drivers for 2026, a duo distinguished for their priceless expertise in operating at the front in two of the sport’s biggest teams, the Red Bull team and Mercedes, and the Finnish driver reflected the sentiment of fighting spirit.
“Certainly, we are pragmatic,” he commented. “We have a mountain of work to do, and we expect most likely a difficult start, because this is Formula One. But our goal isn't to remain at the rear. I believe with this structure, with this group, these personnel, there’s no reason why we won't be able to get relatively quickly to the front and taste victory.”
To realize that ambition recruitment has been in top gear, with personnel now at in excess of 400 and intended to attain the target of 600 members swiftly. Alongside their current base at Silverstone, the organization are in the midst of finishing an headquarters at Fishers in Indy and there is the GM plant in North Carolina, where they are building the facility to produce the 2029 engine, set for the 2029 season – for now they will use Ferrari power units – and the Toyota wind tunnel in Germany. It is a complex organisation, different from the trend in Formula One for greater centralisation, and has led to the new cultural approach to which the CTO referred.
Space Mission Blueprint
“It's closely based on the Apollo project,” said Lowdon ahead of the British GP in mid-season. “We have a clear-eyed view, we recognize how challenging it is. The schedules, are incredibly tight. Alright, we’re not putting a man on the moon, but it can seem that way.”
So they have adopted, as opposed to the usual hierarchical system, a decentralized management comparable to that of NASA's, where there were a range of Apollo teams all tackling distinct elements of the mission at a different facilities.
“In a system where you follow a procedure where someone has a problem and they report it to their supervisor, that manager communicates with a manager in another department, it is relayed back, the process is very slow,” notes the CTO. “So we empower team members to handle things directly. Moving away from managerial sign-off for all decisions is much smoother and quicker.”
Upcoming Challenges
The efficacy of this nimble strategy will be evaluated in the heat of competition when the season begins and there is no little amount on the line for F1, too. Cadillac have taken on as their test driver the emerging American Colton Herta
