In the opinion of former McLaren and Aston Martin figure Bernie Collins, \u201cCadillac is going to be a struggle\u201d, as the American outfit moves closer to its F1 2026 debut.<\/p>\n
Cadillac will hit the grid in time for Formula 1\u2019s new era, with sweeping chassis and engine regulation changes coming. But, Collins is not expecting it to be smooth sailing, as she recalled the \u201cpain\u201d which she claimed to see Haas going through just to get a car on the grid back in 2016.<\/p>\n
Cadillac F1 \u2018struggle\u2019 predicted by Bernie Collins<\/p>\n
After a bumpy road full of hurdles to overcome, Cadillac finally got the green light to join the F1 grid as a new, 11th team for 2026.<\/p>\n
Preparations were already well underway at that stage, part of which saw the team opening a new base in Silverstone. Cadillac F1 went on to confirm Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez as their first driver line-up, the pair boasting 16 grand prix wins between them, 10 for Bottas and six for Perez.<\/p>\n
Cadillac will be the first new team formed from scratch to join the F1 grid since Haas in 2016.<\/p>\n
Collins, the former McLaren senior performance engineer and ex-Aston Martin strategy chief, believes that Cadillac is dealing with a huge task.<\/p>\n
Collins was a part of the Force India squad \u2013 which went on to become Aston Martin \u2013 at the point when Haas arrived on the grid.<\/p>\n
\u201cCadillac is going to be a struggle, I think,\u201d claimed the now Sky F1 analyst.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo get a new team together, get all the people together, to get the car on the grid\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had it before [when] Haas joined the grid. I remember \u2013 at that point, I was McLaren [sic] \u2013 walking into the track, on like the Friday morning or whatever, as the Haas guys were walking out of the track, to have a shower, to go back into the track. Like, that was how much of pain they were in to get a new car on the grid for Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, I think for the Cadillac guys, the job cannot be underestimated.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo if they do get that car on the grid in Australia, that will be really good for them. I think that will be a victory in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n
A former key figure at Haas, Simone Resta, however, warns that it would be unwise to \u201cunderestimate\u201d Cadillac.<\/p>\n
\u201cCadillac, they are investing a lot, hiring a lot of people, they are approaching the problem in a nice way, as far as we can see from outside,\u201d said Resta, now Mercedes\u2019 strategic development director.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a lot of challenge, but also they count on a Ferrari power unit only. So they\u2019ve got one problem less, let\u2019s say, to look after. And I think they can be in the mix.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have seen in some of the small teams \u2014 like in my previous experience at Haas \u2014 that you can start a new cycle with a very small team and do nice things from the beginning. So I wouldn\u2019t underestimate them.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a challenge, but everyone can do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Key F1 2026 details via PlanetF1.com<\/p>\n
F1 2026: Confirmed teams and power unit suppliers for F1\u2019s huge regulation changes<\/a><\/p>\n F1 2026 driver line-up: What is the complete grid for the 2026 season?<\/a><\/p>\n Andy Stevenson, Aston Martin\u2019s sporting director, was singing from the same hymn sheet.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very difficult for us to say how Cadillac are going to manage it. They\u2019re obviously putting together a very professional team, and they have good finances behind them.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m hoping that Cadillac don\u2019t go too well \u2014 but they\u2019re certainly someone we\u2019re not going to dismiss. They are a genuine challenge, and from what we\u2019ve seen so far, they\u2019ll be a very professional outfit.\u201d<\/p>\n Red Bull\u2019s chief engineer Paul Monaghan added: \u201cIf you take everything we\u2019ve discussed \u2014 new car, new power units, new tyres, new electronics, the sustainable fuels \u2014 and then you are trying to build a team into that, you kind of have an idea of what Cadillac have taken on.<\/p>\n \u201cSo best of luck to them.\u201d<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n