Less than a year remains before Cadillac’s debut in Formula 1, after receiving official approval from the FIA and Liberty Media to join the grid starting in 2026. Behind the scenes, the American team is already at work to tackle an ambitious challenge, starting practically from zero, especially on the infrastructure side.
To celebrate the agreement with F1, this weekend in Miami—first American round of the 2025 calendar—the team’s global launch is scheduled, with international celebrities and team and brand executives attending, in a red-carpet-style event.
However, the road to competitiveness is still long. Cadillac is starting from scratch, although part of the technical foundation comes from the project launched by Andretti in 2024, when the American team attempted to enter Formula 1. Andretti had already set up a facility in the United Kingdom and signed a deal to use the Cologne wind tunnel, helpful for developing the car that will debut in 2026.
Nevertheless, the delay in F1’s approval slowed the selection of technical partners, hiring of staff, and acquisition of necessary infrastructure. Additionally, unlike in the past, Cadillac was immediately subjected to both budget and development limits, to prevent excessive investments outside the cost cap defined by the regulations.
This also affects the number of wind tunnel hours available. The current system allocates hours based on the Constructors’ Championship standings: Cadillac, as a new entry, will start with a quota similar to that of the lowest-ranked team.
On the financial side, Cadillac will need to comply with the cost cap limits but can take advantage of an exemption provided for expanding teams. The financial regulations allow all teams to spend an additional amount—based on their category—for infrastructure upgrades, and this amount is not included in the cost cap.
Top teams (Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari) can invest up to $42 million; mid-tier teams (McLaren, Alpine, Aston Martin) up to $49 million; while smaller or growing teams (Racing Bulls, Sauber, Williams, Haas) up to $56 million. Cadillac will fall into this last category, and will therefore be able to use $56 million over the next few years to develop its technical base.
In addition to these funds, there is also a $150 million investment for the construction of a new facility in the United States, where the Power Unit set to debut in 2029 will be built. At the same time, work will continue on completing infrastructure at the UK base, the team’s operational hub.
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