Cadillac, backed by General Motors, will join Formula 1 as the 11th team in 2026 alongside new technical regulations. The American outfit has assembled an experienced driver lineup featuring veterans Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez. Preparations include key hires and a livery reveal planned for the Super Bowl.
Cadillac's Path to the Grid
Cadillac's arrival in Formula 1 marks a significant expansion for the sport, with the team set to debut in 2026 under the support of TWG Motorsports and General Motors. The brand, established in 1902 as a luxury vehicle division of GM, brings a rich motorsport heritage, including participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans since the 1950s and recent successes in series like the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
The team's entry gained momentum in November 2024 with an agreement in principle, followed by final approval in March 2025. By August 2025, Cadillac confirmed its driver pairing: Valtteri Bottas, the Finnish veteran with 10 Grand Prix wins and 246 starts, returns after serving as a Mercedes reserve in 2025 following his departure from Kick Sauber. Teammate Sergio Perez, who achieved a career-best second place in the 2023 championship, also rejoins after leaving Red Bull post-2024, boasting 6 wins and 281 starts.
Supporting the core duo, Cadillac added Colton Herta as a test driver, Pietro Fittipaldi as development driver in October 2025, simulator drivers Simon Pagenaud and Charlie Eastwood, and Zhou Guanyu as reserve in January 2026. Team principal Graeme Lowdon, with prior experience at Marussia and Manor, emphasized building on expertise, noting the lineup's combined 527 Grand Prix starts.
We're racing against teams where the youngest team on the grid has still a decade of Formula 1 racing experience or so, so I think that should set some expectation. But what we want to do is execute the things that we can control as well as we possibly can and measure ourselves against that.
Bottas echoed a cautious optimism, stating the team must "need to be realistic" and "mentally prepare for the worst" initially, yet affirmed that "the sky's the limit" long-term. The squad's first livery will debut in a Super Bowl advertisement on February 8, 2026, signaling their American roots.
With no on-track results yet, Cadillac focuses on steady progress amid the challenges of new regulations and established rivals.