At a private event held in Miami, the Cadillac F1 Team unveiled the team logo in true American style in front of a large group of guests that included team management, potential sponsors, and many VIPs. Behind the appealing façade lies a project that is taking shape in a real race against time. It has been more than two years since Andretti Global first officially applied to enter Formula 1, and a lot has happened since then on the imaginary bridge linking Europe and the United States.
The events leading to General Motors’ (which will use the Cadillac brand) entry into Formula 1 have been thorny, even involving the United States Congress, and in such a climate investors were forced to put the program on standby — a long wait that ended on March 7, the date when the green light was given.
Since then, activity has ramped up rapidly. The program’s backers (Mark Walter and Dan Towriss) had already committed to covering the costs of setting up the Silverstone base where the engineering work on the car will be done, but they were unable to activate the various work programs. Without final approval, it simply wasn’t possible.
Now, whispers in the paddock suggest that to save time, the project leaders are considering relying heavily on external suppliers. The partnership with Ferrari will provide not only the power unit but also the gearbox and rear suspension, while aerodynamic development has already begun in Toyota’s wind tunnel in Cologne.
There are persistent rumors of a partnership with Dallara (indicating collaboration on the chassis), but at the same time, during the Miami weekend it was revealed that the team has already built a chassis used for crash test verification, tests that were reportedly passed, though with a chassis significantly above the weight target set by the engineers.
According to sources close to the team, the final organizational chart envisions about 600 employees; currently, around half are operational (under Nick Chester’s leadership), partly due to gardening leave being served by several key figures hired from other teams.
In parallel, the power unit project — set to debut in 2029 — has also begun. All of this work is being carried out in the United States, at General Motors’ headquarters in Charlotte, which hosts the company’s motorsport programs. Work began with the construction of a single-cylinder unit, the first step toward a V6 expected to be ready in September, although development continues cautiously given potential changes in FIA direction.
The significant investments required for the project cannot risk being wasted due to new decisions by the International Federation, which is why progress in recent months has proceeded at a slower pace. Now those doubts appear to have been set aside, as confirmed by a major order of test benches placed with AVL, the Austrian specialist.
The design work and investments must comply with the cost cap regulations for power units — in the first three years, spending is capped at $210 million, aligning with other engine manufacturers from the first year of on-track activity.
Although not considered one of the most urgent matters, Cadillac has also started discussions on the driver market. Early moves suggest the team is evaluating experienced candidates, likely wishing to avoid relying on rookies for such a new project. For this reason, Colton Herta’s initial candidacy has lost weight — the American driver would also have to wait until the end of the IndyCar championship (final weekend of August) to be sure of obtaining a super licence.
In Miami, there was much talk about Sergio Perez, with rumors even claiming the Mexican was confirmed to attend the Saturday night event. The only driver actually present was Mick Schumacher (hoping for a chance), but Perez remains the top name on the list.
Alongside ‘Checo’, team principal Graeme Lowdon is also considering Zhou Guanyu, Valtteri Bottas, and Felipe Drugovich, who, despite never having raced in a Grand Prix, is considered a driver with solid knowledge of the Formula 1 environment.
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