Cadillac's new Finnish signing is aware of the task ahead
Mercedes
Starting your own F1 team under any circumstances is a monumental challenge like little else.
Finding (and constructing) the premises, hiring up to 1,000 staff, as well as designing (and building) the most complicated prototype racing machine on Earth – and that’s before hoping your car might just be competitive.
The Cadillac F1 team, born out of Michael Andretti’s long-term ambition to join the grand prix grid, is currently undergoing this unenviable task and then some. It officially gained entry into the 2026 F1 season 364 days before the first race, putting it under an extreme time constraint to get everything ready.
Perez forms an experienced line-up with Bottas at the American team
Grand Prix Photo
It’s a feeling not lost on new driver signings Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez. The former has admitted Cadillac has a “mountain of work” to do, while Perez has said “time is not on our side” ahead of it in getting ready to be there at the start ion Melbourne next year.
“We’re realistic, and it’s going to be probably difficult to start, because it is Formula 1,” said Bottas in a Cadillac press conference to announce his signing alongside Sergio Perez for the American brand.
Cadillac’s Formula 1 entry was approved just 364 days before its first grand prix weekend. We took a look inside its Silverstone base to find out how it’s building a brand new team from scratch
“But we’re not there to stay at the back. We don’t want to finish last.
“And I believe with this structure, with this group, these people, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to get relatively quickly up to the pace, and that way enjoy some success.
“And we still have quite a few years left in the tank with Checo! I think you know. So, the goal is to enjoy the success together eventually, when we get there.”
How soon is “eventually”? That question looms large for the team in a bid to put in a respectable F1 debut season. As a result, both Perez and Bottas are focusing on getting the most out of the ‘journey’.
Bottas took ten wins at Mercedes, but faces years at the back with Cadillac
Mercedes
“For me, it’s very clear. Coming back to Formula 1, my main target is to enjoy it,” said Perez.
“I had very difficult year[s], especially my final year with Red Bull.
Cadillac has officially unveiled Pérez and Bottas as its driver pairing for the brand’s debut in the 2026 F1 season
“This is a sport I love, and I want to get back to enjoyment, and this project just brings me that excitement back, because I’m able to put all my years of experience [from] the different teams I work with, try to help this team move forward.
“We want to move us forward as quickly as possible. We don’t have time on our side, but we also can be a big surprise – there’s plenty of experience in the team.”
Now the race is on to be prepared for F1 2026. Team boss Graeme Lowdown was also involved in the Virgin Racing F1 entry in 2010, another project that was done with serious time constraints. He told Motor Sport on a Cadillac F1 factory tour recently that just being in Australia next year will be a mammoth task.
“We’re realistic, we know how difficult it is,” says Lowdon. “You’ve seen the timelines, they’re super, super, super short. Okay, we’re not putting a man on the moon, but it feels like it sometimes.”
