The American team, after the Audi RS26, was the first to take to the track during Friday’s filming day at Silverstone. The car already appears keen to establish its own identity, with technical solutions that do not follow the direction chosen by the majority of teams. The brake discs are supplied by Carbon Industrie.
Tomorrow it will be the turn of the other American outfit to reveal its 2026 livery. Haas is set to unveil its new colour scheme, which will be strongly influenced by the growing presence of Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR). The Japanese manufacturer has stepped up its involvement to become title sponsor, further expanding its influence within Gene Haas’ team, which is preparing to start its 11th season in Formula 1.
Cadillac, meanwhile, officially joins the paddock this year as the 11th team admitted to the Concorde Agreement after a long legal battle. The team led by Graeme Lowdon has wasted no time. Following the Audi RS26, the first agile Formula 1 car to hit the track, Cadillac ran at Barcelona to use the first of its two filming days, gathering valuable development data ahead of the private collective test session scheduled at the Catalan circuit from 26 to 30 January.
The official presentation has been set for 8 February and, for now, the car driven by Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas is the only one yet to be given a name or designation. For this reason, observers have described the machine that completed 200 km on the British Grand Prix circuit last Friday as an experimental version.
One of Cadillac’s key advantages has been the opportunity to debut Ferrari’s new power unit on a chassis designed by Nick Chester, supported by a high-profile consultant such as Pat Symonds and an experienced operations director like Rob White. The American brand enters Formula 1 aiming to capture the interest of US fans, targeting a role that Haas never fully pursued, despite its very close technical link with Maranello.
Cadillac has also established an excellent relationship with Ferrari that goes beyond the simple supply of the power unit and gearbox components. Lowdon reportedly requested the entire rear end of the SF-26 as well, but Ferrari’s Gestione Sportiva is said to have declined, concerned about accelerating production timelines too much while already supplying the works team and two customer outfits.
The Americans have therefore pursued a more independent line of thinking. Contrary to what might have been expected, the car driven by Sergio Perez at Silverstone was fitted with Carbon Industrie brake discs.
Like the reigning world champions McLaren, Cadillac also appears to rely on AP Racing brakes, although there has been no official confirmation.
Cadillac is thus entering the Formula 1 circus with the clear intention of following its own paths. The chassis, for example, despite rumours suggesting it would be produced by Dallara, which works with Haas, was actually built in the United Kingdom. Regulations prohibit any overlap between teams, as each constructor must own the intellectual property of its monocoque.
The car seen at Silverstone already featured a distinctive technical identity. The limited images available show a chassis that does not fully occupy the regulatory volume. Instead, with the aim of reducing weight and aerodynamic drag, the edges are carefully undercut. The nose, which must comply with stricter crash test requirements, also reveals a sculpted upper profile that hints at a narrow, “finger-style” design.
The sidepods do not follow the direction suggested by the FIA renderings, which pointed towards a return of a Coca-Cola-style rear section. Instead, Nick Chester has introduced his own interpretation of the downwash concept. The radiator inlets are narrow and positioned very high, enhancing a deeply sculpted undercut.
Alongside the classic triangular air intake typical of Ferrari, Cadillac has added two lateral “ears”, suggesting the presence of a central radiator positioned above the internal combustion engine to improve sidepod efficiency. There is also a hint of a short exhaust-style outlet designed to evacuate hot air.
Some solutions already appear well defined, such as the pull-rod front suspension and push-rod rear suspension. Other aerodynamic concepts remain deliberately basic, indicating that the team has chosen not to reveal all of its cards at this early stage.
It should therefore come as no surprise that the prominent bargeboard visible behind the rear wheel, mounted on a protrusion of the floor, is a single-piece element, despite the FIA allowing multiple airflow channels in that area.
The latest development is that the FIA has authorised the support of this component with two tie rods to prevent unnecessary floor flexing. Cadillac has opted to use a particularly visible strut that connects directly to the chassis.
The front wing reflects the core principles of the regulations, but already features endplates that are slightly twisted, with small vortex generators designed to push part of the airflow around the front wheel. This is the same solution that had already been spotted on the wind tunnel model seen a few weeks ago.
Even the wheels, which will be free in design, adopt fork-shaped spokes that echo stylistic elements associated with App Tech, the Padua-based company within the Ronal Group, which is also reported to be in talks with Aston Martin.
The technical debut of Cadillac F1 at Silverstone signals a sophisticated start for the 11th team, proving they are far more than a “Ferrari B-team.” By combining a Maranello-sourced power unit with an independent, UK-manufactured chassis and unique cooling solutions, Nick Chester and his team have created an experimental platform that prioritizes aerodynamic efficiency and weight reduction. As Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas prepare for the closed-door tests in Barcelona, the F1 paddock is beginning to realize that Cadillac intends to be a serious, autonomous contender right from its first outing.
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