Cadillac has just over four months to get everything sorted for its debut on the grid at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix.
This will include final preparations for the car and, more importantly, ensuring that both Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez get ample time in terms of on-track practice.
With Pérez recently taking to Imola to regain some race sharpness, the Mexican having taken a year out of F1 after a disappointing end to his Red Bull tenure, it seems that Cadillac are on the home stretch in terms of preparation.
But team boss Graeme Lowdon is still cautious about the entry, and the limited time Cadillac has to ensure their best effort.
Cadillac boss confesses there is ‘so much to do’ before team is ready for F1
Cadillac’s concept vehicle for their F1 car, matching the colorway of their 02 car in the IMSA championship. | Cadillac Communications
Speaking to the media on the weekend of the Brazilian Grand Prix, Cadillac principal Graeme Lowdon was honest regarding the American outfit’s struggles ahead of March 2026, the month they will start racing in F1.
“Time is the enemy in a project like this, because we know we’ll be racing in Melbourne the first week of March 2026 – and that deadline can’t be extended.
Graeme Lowdon
He added:
“There’s so much to do – our entry was only confirmed in March 2025, so the margin is very tight. In that time, we must not only build the car but also manufacture it, design it, hire personnel, build the factories, everything. It’s a real challenge.”
Lowdon on narrow timeframe
While most of those tasks, including car manufacturing, design, and key personnel hires, have all been made, their veteran duo of drivers needs to get up to speed as soon as possible.
Pérez, who has recently undergone testing in a 2023 Ferrari, is able to gather some info and feel about the engine that will be inside his Cadillac car next year, albeit a few years outdated.
Vallteri Bottas returned to Mercedes in 2025 for the first time since his departure at the end of 2021, but this time as a third driver. | Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team
Meanwhile, 36-year-old Valtteri Bottas will be unable to undertake anything Cadillac-related until his time as a Mercedes reserve driver comes to an end, with Cadillac never asking Mercedes for the Finn’s early release before his contract expires at the end of 2025.
Despite all of the stress of such rapid organization, Lowdon is confident in terms of where the team is at right now, with a clear vision in mind.
“Everything is on schedule… we’ll fire up the engine for the first time in less than 50 days, and the car will run for the first time in January next year. After that, we’ll go testing at the end of January in Barcelona.”
Lowdon on the current situation
The Latest Formula 1 News