A little more than a full year in the past at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Cadillac were at last granted the green light as the world of Formula One's latest entrant for 2026. Establishing the squad from the ground up has involved a hectic pace of work that the team boss, Graeme Lowdon, has likened to the Apollo program. As Formula One descends on Las Vegas this race weekend, Cadillac understand the deadline is approaching.
The Race Against Time to Melbourne
At the final race of the campaign to be held in the America, with just over 100 days to go before they hit the circuit for the maiden outing in Australia at the 2026 opener, Cadillac have advanced rapidly but, in what must seem like a never-ending task, they are conscious there will never be sufficient time.
The CTO, Nick Chester, became part of the newly formed operation in March 2023 not long after it was created, when the team were without even an approved entry. He has been at its core ever since and enjoys a knowing grin when thinking about the experience.
“There might be a brief moment looking back at what you have accomplished and think: ‘Amazing, isn’t this fantastic what the team has created in under three years,’” he notes. “Then the very next instant you realize: ‘Yeah, we still have a significant amount to do.’”
A One-of-a-Kind Opportunity
Nick Chester had success at Renault in the driver 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 truly matched the challenge of bringing the iconic American Cadillac brand, a works entry supported by the parent company, General Motors Corporation, into Formula One.
“Establishing an F1 team from the ground up, when are you ever going to get a chance to do that?” he says. “It is like nothing else. In an existing team you won't have the possibility to change organizational mindset.”
With every day that passes minds are more focused on the looming critical moment in Australia and goals are being set realistically.
“One must presume that a brand-new squad entering the sport is probably going to finish last but simply getting on to the grid will be an feat in itself,” the team principal noted recently and while the CTO echoed this he thought the organization had a reputation to build as well.
“The first thing we intend to prove is that we should be there,” he emphasizes. “So we turn up and we perform competently. We seek to prove that we are a serious contender executing the correct procedures on the race track. When we have demonstrated that we’re really credible, then we aim to demonstrate progression from there on.”
Driver Lineup and Team Building Push
In August they contracted Checo Pérez and Valtteri as their drivers for 2026, a pair notable for their priceless expertise in competing at the leading positions in two championship-winning squads, the Red Bull team and Mercedes-AMG, and Bottas reflected the attitude of determined optimism.
“Certainly, we’re realistic,” he said. “We face a massive task to do, and we expect almost certainly a tough opening, because it's the top level of motorsport. But we aren't joining to stay at the back. I believe with this setup, with this team, this staff, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to advance swiftly to the front and enjoy some success.”
To achieve that goal staff acquisition has been in overdrive, with employees now at over 400 and intended to reach the target of 600 quickly. Alongside their current base at the Silverstone circuit, the squad are in the midst of building an HQ at Fishers, Indiana in Indy and there is the General Motors facility in North Carolina, where they are developing the plant to produce the new engine, planned for the 2029 season – until then they will operate with Ferrari power units – and the aerodynamic facility in Germany. It is a intricate structure, contrary to the movement in the sport for increased consolidation, and has inspired the fresh organizational mindset to which Chester referred to.
Apollo Blueprint
“It's closely based on the Apollo program,” stated the team principal ahead of the Silverstone race in mid-season. “We are pragmatic, we recognize how challenging it is. The schedules, are incredibly tight. Alright, we aren't launching a lunar mission, but it feels like it sometimes.”
So they have adopted, rather than the usual hierarchical system, a flat management structure comparable to that of NASA's, where there were a range of project teams all tackling distinct elements of the program across a different facilities.
“In a system where you follow a protocol where a challenge emerges and they escalate it to their manager, that leader talks to a supervisor in another department, it is relayed back, the process is very slow,” notes Chester. “We give authority to people to take charge. Eliminating management approval for everything is far more efficient and quicker.”
What Lies Ahead
The efficacy of this nimble methodology will be evaluated in the intensity of Grand Prix next season and there is a significant degree riding on this for Formula One, too. Cadillac have taken on as their reserve driver the young Californian Colton Herta
