Cadillac F1 team principal Graeme Lowdon has explained the team’s development focus heading into the 2026 season.
More specifically, Lowdon reflects on the key milestones Cadillac have ticked off. As the US team prepares for its first F1 campaign, there are many variables to take into account.
For the time being, the GM-backed operation is putting an emphasis on reliability.
Why Cadillac are opting for a more conservative approach
Media outlets and fans are waiting in eager anticipation for the 2026 season. Perhaps more than ever, there is an elevated interest in how pre-season testing unfolds.
Over the past few years, as is usually the case, winter testing sparks discussion and speculation about how teams will perform in the upcoming season. At the beginning of a regulation change, however, there are far more unknowns to be revealed in pre-season.
For Cadillac, who make their F1 debut next year, every lap will be a journey into the unknown.
Something Cadillac have worked to capitalise on over the last twelve months was their absence from the 2025 grid. Whilst the other 10 teams divided their attention between 2025 and 2026, the US team could focus entirely on 2026.
Of course, given their limited experience, this does not necessarily make the build-up to 2026 any less nerve-wracking for the team.
Speaking with The Race, team principal Graeme Lowdon outlined the precautions being taken to ensure a smooth start:
“What we’ve done, which I think is sensible, is prioritised delivery over everything else. Because we’re still building our factories and manufacturing facilities, and all sorts of other things – and they’ll take years to come fully online.
“Some of the other teams know how far to push their internal production processes to the absolute limit. That wouldn’t be a sensible approach for what we’re doing, coming in as a new team.
“You have to leave some margin, and like everything in Formula 1, as soon as you make any decision, there is a compromise – and there is a cost to it.
“But equally, we’ve got programmes in place to catch up in those areas as well. The good thing about the 2026 season is there’s an awful lot of testing opportunity.
“Those opportunities can give us a chance to bring new parts even at that stage.”
Avoiding any major problems
Formula 1 does have mechanisms in place to help Cadillac be competitive from their first race. The most notable is the allocation of wind tunnel hours – with Cadillac receiving more than anyone else ahead of 2026.
This should give the team’s engineers the chance to address any uncertainty about their initial 2026 package.
The word ‘initial’ should be emphasised here, because next year’s development curve will be steep. Given that the next generation of cars are essentially brand new, some teams could make very rapid gains.
In Cadillac’s specific case, there will almost certainly be more aggressive components waiting in the pipeline. These will be on stand-by until the beginning of pre-season, which should provide confidence about the team’s general direction for 2026.
Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas will play an essential role in helping guide Cadillac’s development with their feedback in the car.
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Main photo: Clive Mason/Getty Images (Red Bull Content Pool)