Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon has outlined the enormous amount of development still taking place behind the scenes midway through the American manufacturer’s debut Formula 1 season. While the team is already competing on track, it continues to build facilities, recruit staff and learn about the strengths and weaknesses of the MAC-26.
Cadillac’s first four-month report card—taking into account that there was no racing in April—has finally arrived. From March onwards, the team has discovered just how much work remains before it can establish itself in the midfield and become a consistently respectable force in performance terms. Its difficult first half of the 2026 F1 season has provided a clear measure of the scale of that challenge.
There is nothing unusual about this process. Almost every new team entering Formula 1 has faced similar difficulties: technical problems, operational shortcomings and an organisation that may already be solid but is not yet fully equipped for the highest level of international motorsport.
Cadillac measures the gap to the Formula 1 midfield
For much of the first half of the season, Cadillac surprisingly found itself battling Aston Martin. However, that was largely a consequence of the Silverstone team’s difficulties rather than the outright performance of the MAC-26. Aston Martin has since made progress with its upgraded AMR26B, although Cadillac has still produced some encouraging performances of its own.
The American team has already introduced significant changes in its attempt to move forward, including its largest upgrade package of the season in pursuit of a midfield breakthrough. Graeme Lowdon nevertheless offered a realistic assessment of Cadillac’s present position, acknowledging how much physical infrastructure must still be created before the team can reap the rewards later.
“We are still in the building phase,” Graeme Lowdon said. “It is exactly like building an aeroplane while flying it, or building a ship while you are already sailing. That is precisely what we are doing.”
Cadillac builds new facilities in the United States and Britain
Cadillac’s expansion extends far beyond developing its Formula 1 car. Construction work is continuing at several sites as the organisation establishes the infrastructure it will need for the future.
“We are still building the facilities,” Graeme Lowdon explained. “Next to my desk, I have a pair of steel-toecapped safety boots and a hard hat because we regularly visit the construction sites. There is a very large one in Indianapolis and a smaller one in Silverstone.”
In addition to the facilities in Indiana and England, a site in Charlotte, North Carolina, will be dedicated to producing Cadillac power units. During its 2026 debut season, the American team is competing with Ferrari power units.
“Naturally, the company responsible for the power unit is also building its own facility in Charlotte,” Graeme Lowdon continued. “We are also continuing to recruit staff at a very rapid rate, so there is still an enormous amount of construction and development work under way.”
Cadillac learns more about the MAC-26 and its operations
The opening months of competition have given Cadillac valuable information about both its first Formula 1 car and the team’s performance away from the circuit.
“The second quarter of this year also allowed us to begin gaining a better understanding of the MAC-26’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as the team’s strengths and critical areas from an operational perspective,” Graeme Lowdon said.
Every day is a learning experience at Cadillac. More importantly, the team’s senior figures recognise that the stage at which it can put down the hammer and trowel and concentrate solely on refining the details remains a long way off.
“We like to say that every day is a school day,” Graeme Lowdon explained. “If there is a day when we do not learn something, it is a wasted day. That is why we are constantly trying to identify every area in which we can improve and to make continuous progress.”
“At the moment, we are still dealing with major changes because there is genuinely so much to do and many things are completely new. We are therefore still a long way from the stage where you simply refine and optimise the details, which I believe is probably where many of the other teams are today.”
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