Cadillac continues to plan its own Formula 1 power unit for 2029. This would mean using it at most for a couple of seasons, but for the American manufacturer, the priority is establishing official team status rather than strict resource management—at least for now.
The excitement of its Formula 1 debut will remain forever etched in Cadillac and in all the people who made this dream a reality. The American car, built under the 2026 technical regulations, completed its first kilometers during the shakedown in Barcelona and the first pre-season test at Sakhir in Bahrain. Yet, the U.S. manufacturer is already looking ahead to the future.
While the team will have to develop the car, which this year will be driven by experienced pilots Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac continues to build its long-term project and aims to stick to its short- and medium-term objectives.
One of these goals is the creation of a power unit developed entirely in-house, which is set for 2029. This plan was confirmed by Dan Towriss, CEO of the American company.
“Why build our own engine for 2029? That’s a very good question. As I said, we are closely following all discussions regarding the upcoming regulations, and we are doing it very carefully. It’s possible that the rules could change before 2031, but it’s also possible that they won’t,” Towriss explained.
“Regardless of resources and funding, we believe it is important to see a Cadillac power unit on the starting grid as soon as possible. That is, from my point of view, the main objective. If there are ways to speed up the process, we will do it. But for now, the target remains 2029.”
Currently, Cadillac competes using Ferrari power units while waiting to build its own. Considering the time required to develop an in-house engine, it is natural to assume the partnership with Maranello may continue until the end of the current technical regulations, allowing Cadillac to introduce its first own power unit in the next F1 era, potentially in 2031, when a new technical regulation is expected. However, it has become clear over the past few months that the timeline could accelerate, forcing all involved teams to speed up the development of new engines, likely V8s, and phase out current units.
Despite this situation, Cadillac’s primary goal is to establish its official team identity as quickly as possible, avoiding the limbo experienced this year by Alpine (which races with Mercedes engines by choice rather than necessity).
It’s not a matter of pride but of identity. Cadillac wants to be fully Cadillac, from the first bolt to the last. This year, the team has already chosen to forgo several components of the SF-26’s rear end to assert its own identity and maintain the freedom to make its own decisions. For example, the gearbox uses only gears supplied by Ferrari, while the casing was built in-house to accommodate Cadillac’s own suspension mounts and geometries.
Pat Symonds, executive engineering consultant for Cadillac, confirmed this approach during the Bahrain tests that concluded just a few hours ago.
“I think, going beyond, what we may have done slightly differently compared to the last new team to enter the sport is that we strongly believe we should control our own destiny and that we are an official team—or becoming one. So I think, looking at our car, you can see that we haven’t just purchased all available components,” Symonds said.
“Obviously, we haven’t installed a Cadillac engine yet, although the program for this engine is progressing very well. We decided that since we would be using the Ferrari engine, we would also fit the Ferrari gearbox, but we didn’t use the entire rear end as other teams have done. We felt it was necessary to make our own gearbox support, our rear suspension, and so on.”
“So, even though there are still many parts we could legally use, we chose not to because, as I said, being responsible for our own destiny and understanding the philosophy behind our project is extremely important if you want to make progress. It’s difficult to improve someone else’s project philosophy if you don’t understand all the nuances that come with it.”
Cadillac’s insistence on debuting its own engine in 2029, even with a potential total rule change looming in 2031, underscores a “works or nothing” mentality that has been missing from some recent F1 entries. By choosing to build their own rear suspension and gearbox housing while still utilizing Ferrari power, the team is effectively training its engineering staff to handle the complexities of a full-scale manufacturing operation. This proactive approach to identity ensures that when the first Cadillac V6—or perhaps eventually a V8—roars into life, the team won’t just be a customer with a different badge, but a genuine technical powerhouse in its own right.
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