Cadillac's ambitious journey towards a competitive F1 debut

Cadillac has quietly taken its first meaningful steps into Formula 1, steadily laying the foundations for what promises to be an uphill 2026 debut.

For a brand-new team entering the pinnacle of motorsport, the early milestones are crucial, and Cadillac appears to be hitting them, albeit with measured optimism. The biggest hurdle for any new F1 entrant is simply having a car that runs reliably.

Cadillac, partnering with Andretti Global, has already managed to fire up its 2026 machine and complete initial testing, a feat that cannot be underestimated for a team with no prior F1 experience.

The car completed its first on-track laps during the shakedown in Silverstone before heading to the official pre-season test in Barcelona. While the mileage was modest, around 164 laps in total, it represents a significant achievement for a team still in its infancy.

Valtteri Bottas, the Finnish driver tasked with guiding Cadillac through this early development phase, highlighted the importance of these first outings. 

“It has been my first time driving for Cadillac Formula 1 team, and it’s great. I mean, it is the problem‑solving phase of the team, it’s the first time we’re properly running the car. So it’s been a really valuable, really important week," Bottas said.

“We still have lots of problems to solve and a bit of a mountain to climb, but we’re getting there step by step. Each run, we’re getting better and more together as a team. Each run, we’re solving issues and going forward.”

The milestone of getting the car running is important but the team knows it has significant work to do before it can compete with established outfits, Bottas alluded.

Bottas also spoke about the broader appeal of joining a new team. Reflecting on the opportunity to help build Cadillac’s F1 program from scratch. For an experienced driver like Bottas, starting from scratch may be a contradiction to what he's after - titles. 

“From the moment I began speaking with the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, I felt something different — something ambitious but also grounded. This isn’t just a racing project; it’s a long‑term vision.”

“It’s not every day that you get a chance to be part of something being built from the ground up and helping shape it into something that truly belongs on the F1 grid," the Finnish driver said. 

His words highlight both the challenge and excitement of joining a team in its formative stages, where every decision can shape future competitiveness.

Cadillacs second driver Sergio Pérez shared a similarly pragmatic but proud perspective. After Cadillac’s first official laps, Perez was without a doubt chuffed to be back on the main stage, aside from whether the car is running smoothly or not. It's a recognition that he felt he deserved after Red Bull pulled the plug on his career to allow Liam Lawson to take his seat. 

"We got a lot of running, a lot of information. Still finding a few issues out there, which is great, it was all about that today. Today was really an amazing day. Everyone should feel incredibly proud to complete our first laps as a team.

 “I just want to get back in and get mileage, this is just the start," Perez said. 

Performance-wise, Cadillac’s first outings have been within a reasonable range for a newcomer. Bottas’s fastest time during the Barcelona shakedown was roughly six percent slower than the session’s quickest lap, comfortably inside the 107 percent qualifying limit.

While this gap highlights the work ahead, it also demonstrates that Cadillac has avoided one of the most common pitfalls of new teams: producing a car that simply cannot run. Behind the scenes, the team is busy nursing teething problems and building operational cohesion.

Every test session is as much about logistics, reliability, and data analysis as it is about raw speed. Cadillac’s leadership has stressed the importance of steady, incremental progress, avoiding any rush that could jeopardize reliability.

Looking ahead, the next major test will come during the official pre-season tests in Bahrain, where Cadillac will run longer stints and begin exploring performance upgrades. For a new team, the ability to gather meaningful data and implement improvements is often more important than immediate speed.

In many ways, Cadillac’s approach is a textbook example of how to enter Formula 1 the right way: quietly, steadily, and with a focus on fundamentals.