Cadillac’s Entry into Formula 1: A New Era of Innovation and Culture
As Formula 1’s first brand-new entrant in a decade, Cadillac is set to make its grand prix debut in Melbourne in March next year. While the team may face challenges on the track, it is already making waves off the track with its ambitious strategy and unique approach to team building.
Building a Strong Foundation
Cadillac has embarked on an impressive recruiting spree from rival teams and throughout the industry, growing to a 400-strong workforce at the time of writing, with plans to further bolster its numbers in time for its 2026 debut. Its staff is being deployed across a range of facilities, including a brand-new European outpost in Silverstone, established General Motors facilities in Charlotte, North Carolina, and an under construction US headquarters in Fishers, Indiana, which is expected to be completed by mid-2026.
Maintaining an Agile Start-Up Culture
Team boss Graeme Lowdon is keen for Cadillac to maintain an agile start-up culture, hoping to avoid the pitfalls of other multi-location teams that have seen different departments get entrenched into silos. One of the core values as a team is that they operate as one team, so if they were to set up two very distinct locations, there is always the risk that you end up with silos of information and lack of internal communication.
Lowdon emphasized the importance of peer-to-peer communication, ensuring that engineers in Silverstone can communicate directly with their peers in Charlotte without having to go up a traditional chain of command. This flat reporting structure is crucial for maintaining efficiency and quick decision-making.
Values Over Ability
In Formula 1, characteristics like “nimble” and “agile” are not just buzzwords—they are essential for success. The sport involves literally tens of thousands of moving parts, and efficiency is key. James Vowles found this out when he took charge of Williams, which was severely lagging behind its rivals with its byzantine car development processes.
Starting from a clean slate has its advantages, but it also means Lowdon has had to be extra diligent in the team’s hiring process. At one point, Cadillac was hiring staff at a rate of one starter per day. When a team is established, it’s easier for new members to pick up on the team’s values. However, with nearly 50 people joining in one week, it’s a bigger challenge. The team focuses on mission, vision, and values, communicating them clearly to everyone. They hire based on values rather than ability, as ability can be taught, but values are harder to instill.
The American Way
Under the GM umbrella, the team’s US owner TWG Motorsports is keen to build what Lowdon called an “authentically American team.” This is evident through its visual storytelling, such as opening the New York Stock Exchange or having 2026 race driver Sergio Perez throw the first pitch at an LA Dodgers baseball game. The team has also attracted US partners Tommy Hilfiger and Jim Beam.
By signing IndyCar ace Colton Herta as its test driver, the squad has signalled its intention to promote homegrown talent to the cockpit when the time is right. However, until its flagship headquarters in Indiana comes online, where its manufacturing facility will be based, Cadillac’s F1 nerve centre is its European outpost in Silverstone, largely populated by European staff and represented by two overseas drivers.
Balancing Identity and Challenges
Lowdon admitted that building an authentically American team in just over 11 months is super difficult, with objectives pulling in different directions. Despite not being American himself, he has huge respect for the values the team is building. He believes the team does have a strong American identity, reflected in the commercial partners they’re attracting.
It feels like an American team, and it is an American team.
