Just over a full year previously at the Nevada Grand Prix, the Cadillac racing team were at last given the go-ahead as the world of Formula One's latest participant for 2026. Constructing the squad from nothing has required a frenetic pace of work that the principal, Graeme Lowdon, has likened to the Apollo program. As F1 arrives on Vegas this race weekend, Cadillac are aware the deadline is approaching.
The Race Against Time to Melbourne
At the last event of the season to be staged in the US, with around three months to go before they take to the track for the maiden outing in Australia at the 2026 season opener, Cadillac have come on in leaps and bounds but, in what must seem like a never-ending task, they are conscious there will never be adequate time.
The CTO, Nick Chester, became part of the nascent team in early 2023 soon after it was established, when the organization were without even an official entry. He has been at its core from that point and has a amused expression when considering the journey.
“There might be a short period reflecting at what you have accomplished and think: ‘Wow, isn’t this fantastic what we’ve done in less than three years,’” Chester states. “And then the following moment you consider: ‘Well, we still have a great deal to do.’”
A One-of-a-Kind Challenge
The CTO enjoyed success at Renault in Fernando Alonso’s title-winning campaigns of 2005 and 2006 and was in command of technical direction at the then-new Mercedes-Benz Formula E team, but nothing has been quite like the mission of launching the quintessentially American Cadillac brand, a manufacturer-backed entry supported by the parent company, General Motors, into the pinnacle of motorsport.
“Building an F1 team from the ground up, how often do you get the opportunity to do that?” he observes. “It is like nothing else. In an existing team you won't have the possibility to alter organizational mindset.”
With each passing day that passes thoughts are sharper on the impending critical moment in the Australian GP and targets are being set realistically.
“You have to assume that any incoming team entering the sport is probably going to finish last but merely participating will be an feat in itself,” Lowdon stated earlier this year and while Chester shared this view he thought the team had a reputation to build as well.
“The initial objective we intend to prove is that we deserve to be there,” Chester explains. “So we show up and we function efficiently. We want to show that we’re a proper team doing the right things on the track. Once we have demonstrated that our credentials are solid, then we want to show forward movement after that.”
Driver Lineup and Team Building Drive
In August they signed Checo Pérez and Bottas as their racers for the 2026 season, a duo distinguished for their priceless expertise in operating at the sharp end in two championship-winning squads, Red Bull and Mercedes-AMG, and Valtteri Bottas reflected the sentiment of combative optimism.
“Certainly, we’re realistic,” he said. “We face a mountain of work to do, and we expect almost certainly a difficult start, because it's the top level of motorsport. But we aren't joining to stay at the back. I am confident given this organization, with this team, these personnel, there is every reason that we can't manage to advance swiftly up to the pace and enjoy some success.”
To realize that ambition staff acquisition has been in top gear, with personnel now reaching more than 400 and planned to attain the objective of 600 rapidly. Alongside their existing facility at the UK base, the squad are in the process of building an headquarters at Fishers in Indianapolis and there is the GM works in Charlotte, North Carolina, where they are constructing the plant to manufacture the 2029 engine, scheduled for the 2029 season – until then they will run power from Ferrari – and the Toyota's wind tunnel in Cologne. It is a complex organisation, contrary to the trend in the sport for greater centralisation, and has prompted the innovative team culture to which the CTO alluded.
Space Mission Model
“It's closely based on the Apollo project,” remarked Graeme Lowdon ahead of the British Grand Prix in the summer. “We have a clear-eyed view, we understand how difficult it is. The deadlines, are incredibly tight. OK, it's not a space expedition, but it can seem that way.”
So they have implemented, as opposed to the conventional chain of command, a non-hierarchical approach comparable to that of NASA's, where there were a variety of specialist groups all tackling distinct elements of the mission in a variety of locations.
“When you must follow a process where an issue arises and they escalate it to their team leader, that leader communicates with a manager at a different location, it goes back down the chain, it’s super slow,” explains Nick Chester. “So we empower people to really get on with it. Moving away from hierarchical consent for all decisions is so much cleaner and quicker.”
Upcoming Challenges
The efficacy of this flexible strategy will be proven in the heat of competition next season and there is no little amount at stake for the sport, too. The Cadillac team have signed as their development driver the 25-year-old Californian Colton Herta
