Just over twelve months previously at the Nevada Grand Prix, the Cadillac racing team were at last awarded the green light as the world of Formula One's latest entrant for 2026. Building the organization from nothing has required a hectic work rate that the team boss, Graeme Lowdon, has likened to the Apollo program. As F1 converges on Las Vegas this weekend, Cadillac know time is getting tight.
The Race Against Time to Melbourne
At the final race of the championship to be hosted in the America, with around a hundred days to go before they hit the circuit for the inaugural time in Melbourne at the 2026 season opener, the Cadillac F1 project have advanced rapidly but, in what must seem like a monumental task, they are conscious there will not be adequate time.
The technical director, Nick Chester, joined the nascent operation in the spring of 2023 soon after it was created, when the squad were without even an official entry. He has been at its heart from that point and gets a knowing grin when reflecting on the ride.
“There might be five minutes reflecting at what you’ve done and say: ‘Amazing, what an achievement what we have built in less than three years,’” Chester states. “Then the next minute you think: ‘Well, there is still a great deal to do.’”
An Unprecedented Task
Nick Chester achieved victories at Renault in Fernando Alonso’s title-winning seasons of 2005/2006 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 introducing the all-American Cadillac brand, a manufacturer-backed entry sponsored by the parent company, General Motors, into Formula One.
“Building an F1 team from the ground up, how often do you get the opportunity to do that?” he observes. “There's nothing comparable. In an well-set team you won't have the opportunity to change team culture.”
With each passing day that goes by minds are more focused on the looming moment of truth in Melbourne and expectations are being set realistically.
“You have to assume that a brand-new squad entering the sport is likely to start at the back but just making it to the starting line will be an accomplishment in itself,” the team principal commented recently and while the CTO agreed with this sentiment he thought the squad had a statement to make as well.
“The initial objective we intend to prove is that we deserve to be there,” he emphasizes. “So that we turn up and we function efficiently. We want to show that we are a serious contender performing the proper actions on the track. Once we’ve shown that we’re really credible, then we will focus on forward movement after that.”
Racing Talent and Recruitment Effort
In August they recruited Sergio Pérez and Bottas as their racers for 2026, a duo remarkable for their vast knowledge in operating at the leading positions in two of the sport’s biggest teams, Red Bull and the Mercedes team, and Bottas echoed the sentiment of combative optimism.
“Naturally, we are pragmatic,” Bottas stated. “We have a huge amount of work to do, and it’s going to be most likely a tough opening, because it's the top level of motorsport. But we’re not there to finish last. In my view with this structure, with this group, this staff, there is every reason that we can't manage to advance swiftly to a competitive level and achieve good results.”
To that end recruitment has been in top gear, with personnel now at more than 400 and intended to reach the goal of 600 members quickly. Alongside their present headquarters at Silverstone, the organization are in the phase of completing an main base at Fishers in Indianapolis and there is the General Motors facility in Charlotte, North Carolina, where they are constructing the facility to produce the new engine, scheduled for the 2029 season – for now they will operate with power from Ferrari – and the Toyota's wind tunnel in Cologne, Germany. It is a intricate organization, contrary to the movement in F1 for greater centralisation, and has prompted the fresh organizational mindset to which the CTO referred to.
Space Mission Model
“It's closely based on the Apollo project,” said the team principal shortly before the British GP in July. “We are pragmatic, we recognize how tough it is. The deadlines, 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, as opposed to the usual hierarchical system, a flat management structure comparable to that of Nasa’s, where there were a range of specialist groups all focusing on distinct elements of the program across a different facilities.
“If you have to go through a protocol where someone has a problem and they report it to their team leader, that leader communicates with a leader in another department, it is relayed back, it’s super slow,” explains the CTO. “So we empower team members to take charge. Avoiding management approval for each action is so much cleaner and faster.”
Upcoming Challenges
The effectiveness of this flexible methodology will be evaluated in the pressure of racing when the season begins and there is a significant degree at stake for F1, too. Cadillac have recruited as their test driver the young Californian Colton Herta
