It has been a long and arduous journey since Michael Andretti first outlined his ambitions to enter a team into Formula 1, as far back as 2021, but after initial rejection, a management overhaul and Andretti’s exit, eventual acceptance, and a fast-tracked process of building an entire organization from scratch, Cadillac is finally at its debut event.
“Seeing the Cadillac Formula 1 Team line up for its first Grand Prix is a proud moment for all of us,” said TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss. “In Formula 1, nothing is given. Everything is earned. This weekend is just the beginning.”
It is the first start-up operation in Formula 1 since Haas, in 2016, with the return of veterans Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez expanding the championship’s grid to 22 cars.
Long-term, Cadillac and parent company GM have grand ambitions to compete at the sharp end in Formula 1.
But short-term expectations are understandably low; as a start-up operation, Cadillac is anticipating to be at the back of the grid, and its initial target is simply to rack up the mileage and complete this weekend’s grand prix.
The Ferrari-powered MAC-26—named after Mario Andretti—ran competently through Formula 1’s Barcelona shakedown and Bahrain test, and Cadillac is internally ticking all of its boxes. There are already dozens of familiar faces from different teams who have joined Cadillac, and the outfit firmly looks as if it belongs.
“It has been a huge task to get to this point, and I am endlessly grateful to everyone involved,” said Team Principal Graeme Lowdon. “But the Australian Grand Prix is only the beginning of the journey, and our focus is on building long-term success. I am happy with our progress in Barcelona and Bahrain, and we are already bringing the first upgrades to our car this weekend. We have bold ambitions, but we are realistic, committed, and respectful of the challenge ahead.”
For Bottas and Perez it is the start of a new chapter, the multiple race winners returning to the grid after their respective absences in 2025.
“It’s quite unique to be in a situation starting with a new team,” Bottas said. “It’s been hard work, problem-solving, but we’ve already made great progress. Hats off to the whole team being ready here for race one, we’re on this journey and it’s only at the start now.”
On the main aims Bottas said: “Progress is the number one thing, we need to get better from the start to the end of the year, we will, we’ve had hard work already but the hard work continues going ahead.”
Perez concurred with the viewpoint of his teammate.
Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez.
“At this stage it’s all about the progress, getting the puzzle together, getting the departments working together, to develop, from what we see in Bahrain we have to out-develop the other teams, it’s not going to be easy, but for us it’s all about the progress we can make from here.”
It is also a big weekend for Colton Herta, as the long-time IndyCar front-runner will make his debut at a grand prix weekend, contesting the first of 14 events in Formula 2.
Herta, who acts as a test and development driver for Cadillac, will compete for Hitech TGR in Formula 2, as he begins his journey in the secondary division to further outline his credentials for a Formula 1 seat.
Colton Herta.
U.K.-based Phillip Horton started covering Grands Prix while still at university and swiftly deemed that writing about Formula 1 and the behind-the-scenes machinations was much more engaging than reading centuries-old novels. Degree gained, he went on to cover the sport full-time from 2014 and is as intrigued and excited by the destinations Formula 1 visits during its lengthy annual world tour as the racing itself. Phillip joined Autoweek in 2021 and while he has just about learned to spell in American English he has yet to find anywhere in America that makes a proper cup of tea.
