The Formula 1 world is buzzing with the latest developments surrounding the Cadillac F1 team’s preparations for a highly anticipated 2026 season. Having confirmed a formidable lineup of seasoned veterans Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, Cadillac is hitting the accelerator to ensure it is ready for its historic debut. However, joining the prestigious F1 elite is no small feat, and recent revelations about their testing programs, facility logistics, and sponsorship strategies paint a picture of a team defined by immense challenges and unwavering determination.

The Comeback of Experienced Veterans

Cadillac has made a bold statement of intent by signing Grand Prix winners Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas to lead their charge when the team officially joins the Formula 1 grid in 2026. The American squad, backed by the might of General Motors and spearheaded by former Mercedes sporting director Graeme Lowdon, will become the sport’s 11th team. Opting for a foundation of experience, Cadillac secured Perez and Bottas, who boast a staggering combined total of 527 Grand Prix starts and 16 victories, on multi-year deals.

This marks a remarkable return for the veteran duo, both aged 35, after they both lost their respective F1 race seats at the end of last season. Perez took a hiatus to contemplate his future and spend valuable time with his family after departing from Red Bull, while Bottas remained in the paddock as a reserve driver for Mercedes following his exit from Sauber. The wealth of experience these two drivers bring will be invaluable in helping Cadillac find its footing. However, no matter how skilled the drivers are, they still face the critical task of gelling with a team and a pit wall that has never worked together under the intense pressure of a race weekend.

Practical Preparations: From Simulation to the Racetrack

To bridge this gap, during the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, the American team conducted a full race weekend simulation. Operators worked from their factory to run the pit wall, meticulously going through the motions of every free practice, qualifying session, and the race itself. But this coming weekend, Cadillac will step out of the virtual world and onto the tarmac for the first time. Sergio Perez is scheduled to conduct his inaugural track test in a TPC (Testing of Previous Car)—a vehicle that is at least two seasons old.

Perez, who was in California on Wednesday evening to kick off the season at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, admitted, “Next week I will be first in Charlotte and then in England. I’ll test in the simulator at the headquarters, but then I plan to drive an F1 car. I have to start practicing to be ready for the beginning of next year since my neck has lost tone and I need to recover full functionality to drive an F1 car at my best.”

A Surprising Alliance with Ferrari: A Sign of Power?

While official confirmation is still pending, reports have surfaced that Cadillac has reached an agreement with Scuderia Ferrari to be supplied with a 2023 SF-23 car for testing purposes. This strategic move is rooted in the fact that the American team will be utilizing Ferrari power units when they debut. Since Cadillac has no previous cars of its own, this is the only way for them to conduct on-track testing with their personnel.

Securing a Ferrari for testing, however, is a monumental achievement. The Maranello-based team is famously protective of its machinery, and providing previous-generation cars to other teams—even their own customers—is a rare occurrence. The fact that Cadillac has managed to make this happen is likely a powerful reflection of the significant resources and influence they bring to the sport. The decision may have been made easier for Ferrari by the fact that the 2023-spec SF-23 will have no technical correlation to the all-new cars being introduced for the 2026 season. This test will be the first opportunity for Cadillac to get their trackside engineers, pit wall strategists, and drivers working together in real-world conditions, allowing them to iron out their processes long before their own car is ready.

The Challenge of “Building a Ship While Sailing It”

Of course, the task ahead is far more complex than simply having Perez drive someone else’s car for a day. The sheer difficulty of what Cadillac is undertaking cannot be overstated, a fact that Chief Executive Dan Taus knows better than anyone.

The challenge is so immense that Taus has openly admitted the new Formula 1 entrant is “building a ship while we’re sailing it,” though he remains confident the team will be ready for the start of the 2026 season. Following the formal approval of their bid in March, operations have accelerated dramatically in an effort to be competitive from day one. Taus, who is spearheading the project alongside Team Principal Graeme Lowdon, provided an update at the Italian Grand Prix.

“We’re pretty much on schedule,” Taus stated. “We have good weeks and bad weeks because it’s not this linear progress. We feel pretty good about the progress that’s been made to this point.” The race against time is further complicated by the team’s operational structure, which is split across three main bases—four if you include the wind tunnel they are using in Cologne, Germany. The team has two facilities in the United States and a UK base in Silverstone, where Taus confirmed the chassis is being designed. He added, “We have had a car in the wind tunnel—the 60% scale model—for some time… Even in the last 2 weeks, we onboarded 50 people to the team. We are building a ship while we’re sailing it, from real estate to building the company, getting all the resources together.”

The Reality of Facilities: Silverstone as the Initial Pillar

Naturally, constructing state-of-the-art facilities takes time. F1 factories don’t appear overnight, and these necessary construction timelines are directly impacting Cadillac’s preparations. Team boss Graeme Lowdon revealed that Cadillac will have to run its 2026 car from its Silverstone base while construction of its primary American headquarters is finalized.

The team will operate under an American license with bases on both sides of the Atlantic, including the Silverstone factory and a purpose-built headquarters in Fischers, Indianapolis. With the Indianapolis base not yet ready, Lowdon explained that the General Motors brand will primarily run its 2026 operation out of the UK facility, which was unveiled in June.

Speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, he described the American headquarters as a “nearly half a million square ft development, brand new build just for Formula 1.” He continued, “That’s headquarters and the bulk of the car will be manufactured there over time. But again, you can’t build a factory… hire all the people, put all the machines in, and then manufacture components to Formula 1 standard—which is like aerospace standard—and be on the grid in Melbourne with that car. It just won’t work.”

“So we have a facility at Silverstone which is a logistics facility. It’s also where we have the aero design and mechanical design,” Lowdon elaborated. “The ‘26 car will be coordinated from there while Fischers is being completed, but over time the main headquarters will be in the US.” Silverstone is far from a mere outpost; it’s a critical component of the team. While Cadillac will market itself as America’s F1 team, for 2026 at least, it will be a significantly British operation—an understandable reality given the immense challenge of building an F1 factory from the ground up.

Beyond the Grid: Sponsorship and Branding

Becoming America’s F1 team involves more than just building a car on American soil. Cadillac is already beginning to sign sponsors for its debut season. Historic American bourbon distiller Jim Beam has entered a multi-year partnership with the team as one of its first official sponsors. As Cadillac’s Official Spirits Partner, the deal will see Jim Beam branding prominently featured both on and off the car for the entire F1 schedule.

This raises interesting questions, given that drivers are not permitted to spray alcoholic champagne at certain races in the Middle East and that most other alcohol sponsors heavily promote their zero-ABV products. It will be fascinating to see how this branding partnership plays out. Meanwhile, Cadillac is still searching for a title sponsor, with a report by Sports Business Journal claiming they are seeking between $55 to $70 million for the naming rights for their inaugural season. With F1’s viewership continually surging, especially in America, the team is bound to attract some major names eager to get their brand on the Formula 1 grid.

Conclusion

Cadillac’s entry into Formula 1 is a captivating saga of ambition, perseverance, and relentless challenges. From assembling a talented crew with experienced drivers like Perez and Bottas to navigating the logistical hurdles of facilities and finance, Cadillac is proving they are not just here to participate—they are here to make a lasting impact. The test with a Ferrari SF-23 is a clear testament to their serious commitment and the resources they command. While the road ahead is undoubtedly fraught with difficulty, strong leadership and a clear strategy suggest Cadillac is steadily turning its American F1 dream into a reality. Will they successfully “build the ship while sailing it” and make history in 2026? Only time will tell, but the entire F1 community will be watching their every move with bated breath.