Coming to the US Grand Prix, there were reports that Cadillac would be showing up in some form, yet the newest Formula One team set to debut in 2026 has so far been noticeable by their absence.
Cadillac are marketing themselves as the true American F1 team given Haas F1 squandered their chance to be the US fans favourite. They chose to become an F1 kit car manufacturer buying in European components rather than building their own. Their chassis is built by Italian company Dallara and their power unit and many associated parts come from Ferrari.
There was no attempt by Gene Haas to cross market his team with the NASCAR where he also dashed and any hope of claiming the loyalty of the stars and stripes when they turned up for testing with a livery wrapped as the Russian Federations flag due to tens of millions paid by the team’s Russian title sponsor. If that’s not selling out, what is?
Cadillac are a true US based F1 team
Executive engineering director for Cadillac, Pat Symonds laughed off recently the suggestion that no F1 team could be truly US based as Haas have proven. “People saying that are wrong on all accounts,” he said. “This is an American team. This is based in America, but it’s expedient to get things going, to use some of the knowledge that’s in Europe.
“I attend numerous meetings in a day, and there are a lot of people on my screen, and I really am not aware of whether they’re in Charlotte or whether they’re in Cologne or whether they’re actually sitting next to me,” he added. “Doesn’t matter anymore, does it? We can do these things. It doesn’t worry me in the slightest that we have physical separation. We don’t have mental separation.”
Cadillac running a Ferrari engine seems to some quite bizarre and there’s no real precedent for such a global auto car manufacturer having ever done so before. Yet its understandable they do not have one for the first couple of years given the lead times these current highly complex monsters have in the design process. Cadillac were only approved in Austin this time last year following a long wrangle with FOM which resulted in the US Justice arms looking threatening with a potential $4-5bn fine coming the way of the sport for anti competitive reasons.
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Cadillac will never build a V6 hybrid powertrain
Many of the current PU manufacturers have been developing aspects of the new powertrains for up to tree years and Cadillac initially set s similar timescale suggesting they would build their own come 2028. Yet recent events mostly notice in the F1 media saw the FIA only confirm the team will have engine supplier status in 2029.
TJ13 has suggested previously that in fact Cadillac will never build one of the all new V6 turbo highbred power units. The furore over ‘excessive’ energy management the drivers must take care of, together with the eye watering costs for the customers means the life of these PU’s will be a maximum five years.
Becoming an engine supplier in 2029 will allow Cadillac to begin its R&D for 2031, given broadly by then agreement will have been formed on what exactly the next powertrains will look like. The broad consensus amongst the powers that be is that the sport will return to lighter V8 power units with a less powerful electrical contribution, similar to the days of KERS back in 2009.
This is where road relevance and cutting edge technology clash in F1 which in previous years has seen the sport prefer the former. Yet cost cutting measures are on the agenda of the FIA and FOM and despite Audi and Honda’s protestations the much hated V6 hybrids will be gone.
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Cadillac designing and building their own parts
Road relevance will become the sport’s big marketing agenda as the development of bio fuels which can be manufacturer on a cost effective basis should revolutionise how some 2bn vehicles globally can be turned green. This coincides with the FIA’s net zero agenda for 2030, although the private jets which fly daily from Monaco to the UK are not included in the calculation.
Cadillac could take the easy route in building an F1 car, as did Haas by buying in lots of allowable components. Given their relationship with Ferrari and the commitment to buy their power units for three years, this would have been criticised by few.
Yet Symonds explains the team wishes to be respected for its own work in the longer term and already is not buying the full suite of FIA approved components. “We’re not doing it in the model of some of our competitors,” he said. “So we’re taking the engine, and we’re taking the gearbox cassette.
“But the whole of the gearbox carrier, the rear suspension, the front suspension, and indeed all those parts that some other teams are buying from suppliers, we’re not doing that. We are designing from scratch. I’m a great believer in being in charge of your own destiny. And I think if you are a customer team, to me, that’s not the way to win the world championship.”
Cadillac go testing
Symonds is making a longer term bet that by development their in house knowledge and skill set, it will better prepare them to become a front runner further down the line.
One problem for Cadillac is they have no previous cars to test which is a hinderance in getting the race team up to speed in everything they may need to do at pace. The team have however attended some Ferrari ‘testing of previous cars’ sessions even if only to do some basic training for what is likely to come in the near future.
As Symonds said: “We’ve been able to attend some of their testing of previous cars, just so we can get mechanics sort of working together as a team and things like that. There are simple things, just like seeing how you need to bleed the hydraulics on their system, how you refuel the car, and all that sort of stuff.
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“It was very good from a team building point of view, and also good from some of the relatively routine sort of operational aspects.” Further TPC sessions between Ferrari and Cadillac.
Cadillac are determined to unlock their potential to be recognised as a true US based F1 team. There’ll be no Russian flag livery, and when asked about the look and feel of the up coming paint job, team principal Graham Lowden was coy and refused to comment. US fans will wait with baited breath to see their teams final colour schemes though it may have some resemblance to colours used by Cadillac in other racing series.
Cadillac may yet pop up in Austin in some way or another, but nothing is scheduled at present. It feels a missed opportunity for the all new American F1 team.
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A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
In addition to editorial duties, Andrew is particularly interested in how media narratives shape fan perception of Formula 1, and how reporting can balance speed with accuracy in an increasingly digital news environment.
