A little more than a full year in the past at the Vegas Grand Prix, Cadillac were ultimately given the green light as Formula One’s latest participant for 2026. Building the organization from the ground up has involved a frenetic work rate that the team boss, Graeme Lowdon, has equated to the Apollo program. As the sport descends on the Vegas strip this race weekend, the team know the deadline is approaching.
The Race Against Time to Australia
At the final race of the season to be staged in the America, with approximately three months to go before they make their debut for the inaugural time in Australia at the 2026 season opener, the Cadillac F1 project have advanced rapidly but, in what must seem like a never-ending endeavor, they are cognizant there will not be adequate time.
The CTO, Nick Chester, came aboard the nascent team in early 2023 not long after it was created, when the organization were without even an approved entry. He has been at its center since then and gets a wry smile when thinking about the journey.
“There might be a brief moment looking back at what the team has achieved and think: ‘Incredible, what an achievement what the team has created in less than three years,’” Chester states. “Then the following moment you consider: ‘Well, we still have a great deal to do.’”
An Unprecedented Challenge
Nick Chester achieved victories at the Renault team in Alonso's title-winning seasons of 2005/2006 and was in command of engineering strategy at the then-new Mercedes-Benz Formula E team, but nothing has been quite like the task of bringing the quintessentially American Cadillac marque, a manufacturer-backed entry supported by the corporate entity, GM, into F1.
“Creating an F1 team from nothing, how often do you get the opportunity to do that?” he observes. “It's unparalleled. In an established team you don’t get the chance to transform cultural approach.”
With each day that passes thoughts are increasingly concentrated on the approaching decisive point in Melbourne and expectations are being handled.
“One must presume that any incoming team joining the grid is probably going to finish last but merely participating will be an accomplishment in itself,” Graeme Lowdon stated recently and while Chester echoed this he thought the team had a reputation to build as well.
“The initial objective we intend to prove is that we belong on the grid,” he emphasizes. “So we arrive and we operate well. We aim to demonstrate that we are a serious contender performing the proper actions on the track. When we prove that we are a legitimate team, then we want to show progression after that.”
Driver Lineup and Hiring Push
In August they recruited Sergio Perez and Valtteri as their racers for 2026, a tandem remarkable for their invaluable experience in operating at the front in two of the sport’s biggest teams, Red Bull and Mercedes-AMG, and the Finnish driver echoed the attitude of determined optimism.
“Naturally, we are pragmatic,” he said. “We have a mountain of work to do, and it’s going to be probably a challenging beginning, because it is F1. But we’re not there to finish last. I believe given this organization, with this team, these personnel, it's entirely possible we won't be able to progress rapidly to a competitive level and taste victory.”
To realize that ambition staff acquisition has been in top gear, with personnel now at over 400 and intended to attain the objective of 600 members swiftly. Complementing their existing facility at the UK base, the squad are in the midst of finishing an main base at Fishers in the Indianapolis area and there is the General Motors facility in North Carolina, where they are constructing the center to produce the 2029 engine, set for 2029 – for now they will operate with Ferrari engines – and the Toyota wind tunnel in Cologne, Germany. It is a complex organisation, different from the trend in F1 for more centralization, and has prompted the new cultural approach to which Nick Chester referred to.
Space Mission Inspiration
“We've drawn heavily from the Apollo program,” remarked the team principal shortly before the Silverstone race in mid-season. “We are pragmatic, we know how difficult it is. The timelines, they’re super, super, super short. Alright, we’re not putting a man on the moon, but it feels like it sometimes.”
So they have implemented, instead of the traditional management structure, a flat management structure similar to that of Nasa’s, where there were a variety of Apollo teams all tackling various components of the program across a variety of locations.
“In a system where you follow a procedure where someone has a problem and they raise it up to their supervisor, that leader consults a manager somewhere else, it is relayed back, it’s super slow,” explains Chester. “So we empower people to take charge. Moving away from managerial sign-off for everything is much smoother and quicker.”
What Lies Ahead
The success of this nimble approach will be tested in the pressure of racing when the season begins and there is a considerable amount riding on this for F1, too. The Cadillac team have recruited as their reserve driver the young American Colton Herta
