Approximately one year previously at the Nevada Grand Prix, the Cadillac racing team were at last granted the green light as the world of Formula One's latest participant for the 2026 season. Establishing the squad from scratch has required a intense operating tempo that the team principal, Graeme Lowdon, has likened to the NASA lunar mission. As Formula One converges on Las Vegas this weekend, Cadillac know the deadline is approaching.
The Tight Timeline to Australia
At the last event of the championship to be held in the America, with just over 100 days to go before they take to the track for the maiden outing in Australia at the first race of 2026, the Cadillac F1 project have come on in leaps and bounds but, in what must seem like a never-ending endeavor, they are aware there will never be sufficient time.
The chief technical officer, Nick Chester, joined the newly formed team in early 2023 shortly after it was established, when the team were without even an confirmed place. He has been at its heart from that point and gets a knowing grin when thinking about the ride.
“You might get a short period thinking back at what you have accomplished and say: ‘Wow, what an achievement what the team has created in less than three years,’” Chester states. “And then the following moment you realize: ‘Well, we still have quite a lot to do.’”
A Unique Task
Nick Chester had success at Renault in Fernando Alonso’s title-winning seasons of 2005 and 2006 and was in charge of technical development at the new Mercedes-Benz Formula E team, but no previous experience has quite compared with the mission of bringing the iconic American Cadillac brand, a manufacturer-backed entry supported by the parent company, General Motors Corporation, into Formula One.
“Building an Formula One team from scratch, how often do you get the opportunity to do that?” he observes. “It's unparalleled. In an established team you won't have the opportunity to change cultural approach.”
With each day that elapses thoughts are sharper on the impending critical moment in Australia and targets are being set realistically.
“One must presume that any new team joining the grid is probably going to finish last but simply getting on to the grid will be an feat in itself,” Graeme Lowdon noted recently and while Chester agreed with this sentiment he thought the team had a reputation to build as well.
“The initial objective we intend to prove is that we should be there,” Chester explains. “In order that we arrive and we perform competently. We aim to demonstrate that this is a professional operation executing the proper actions on the track. When we have demonstrated that our credentials are solid, then we want to show forward movement subsequently.”
Driver Lineup and Recruitment Drive
In late summer they recruited Sergio Pérez and Bottas as their drivers for the 2026 season, a duo notable for their vast knowledge in competing at the leading positions in two of the sport’s biggest teams, Red Bull and the Mercedes team, and the Finnish driver reflected the attitude of fighting spirit.
“Of course, we are pragmatic,” he commented. “We have a massive task to do, and we expect most likely a tough opening, because this is Formula One. But our goal isn't to remain at the rear. I am confident with this setup, with these individuals, this staff, it's entirely possible we won't be able to get relatively quickly to a competitive level and achieve good results.”
To achieve that goal recruitment has been in full swing, with staff now at more than 400 and scheduled to hit the target of 600 rapidly. Complementing their present headquarters at the Silverstone circuit, the team are in the phase of finishing an HQ at Fishers in Indy and there is the GM works in Charlotte, North Carolina, where they are developing the plant to build the new engine, scheduled for the 2029 season – for now they will operate with Ferrari power units – and the Toyota's wind tunnel in Cologne. It is a complex organization, different from the trend in the sport for greater centralisation, and has prompted the innovative team culture to which Nick Chester alluded.
Apollo Inspiration
“We've drawn heavily from the Apollo project,” said the team principal shortly before the British Grand Prix in July. “We have a clear-eyed view, we recognize how tough it is. The timelines, are incredibly tight. Well, we’re not putting a man on the moon, but it can seem that way.”
So they have adopted, as opposed to the conventional chain of command, a non-hierarchical approach similar to that of the space agency's, where there were a assortment of project teams all tackling various components of the project across a different facilities.
“When you must follow a process where a challenge emerges and they report it to their team leader, that manager talks to a leader somewhere else, it travels back down, the process is very slow,” says Nick Chester. “Therefore we enable people to handle things directly. Moving away from management approval for everything is so much cleaner and faster.”
Upcoming Challenges
The success of this nimble methodology will be tested in the heat of competition in 2026 and there is a significant degree on the line for the sport, too. Cadillac have recruited as their test driver the young American Colton Herta
