A little more than one year in the past at the Vegas Grand Prix, the Cadillac racing team were at last awarded the official approval as the world of Formula One's most recent entry for the 2026 season. Building the team from scratch has entailed a frenetic work rate that the principal, Graeme Lowdon, has likened to the NASA lunar mission. As the sport arrives on Las Vegas this race weekend, Cadillac know the deadline is approaching.
The Tight Timeline to Melbourne
At the season finale of the campaign to be hosted in the US, with just over 100 days to go before they make their debut for the first time in Melbourne at the first race of 2026, Cadillac have come on in leaps and bounds but, in what must seem like a never-ending challenge, they are aware there will never be enough hours in the day.
The chief technical officer, Nick Chester, came aboard the newly formed project in early 2023 shortly after it was established, when the team were without even an approved entry. He has been at its center since then and has a amused expression when considering the ride.
“There might be a short period thinking back at what you’ve done and go: ‘Wow, how impressive what we have built in under three years,’” he notes. “Then the next minute you realize: ‘Yes, we’ve still got a significant amount to do.’”
A One-of-a-Kind Challenge
Nick Chester enjoyed success at Renault in Fernando Alonso’s title-winning seasons of 2005/2006 and was in control of engineering strategy at the new Mercedes Formula E team, but no previous experience has truly matched the challenge of bringing the quintessentially American Cadillac brand, a manufacturer-backed entry sponsored by the owner, General Motors Corporation, into Formula One.
“Establishing an grand prix team from scratch, when will you ever have the possibility to do that?” he observes. “It's unparalleled. In an well-set team you don’t get the opportunity to transform organizational mindset.”
With each passing day that elapses minds are sharper on the approaching moment of truth in Melbourne and targets are being managed.
“One must presume that any new team joining the grid is going to be last but merely participating will be an feat in itself,” Graeme Lowdon noted recently and while Nick Chester shared this view he thought the squad had a reputation to build as well.
“The first thing we want to show is that we belong on the grid,” Chester explains. “In order that we arrive and we perform competently. We want to show that we are a serious contender doing the correct procedures on the track. Once we prove that we’re really credible, then we will focus on forward movement subsequently.”
Pilot Selection and Hiring Drive
In the summer they contracted Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas as their drivers for 2026, a pair distinguished for their vast knowledge in performing at the front in two top-tier teams, Red Bull Racing and Mercedes, and Valtteri Bottas reflected the mood of determined optimism.
“Of course, we’re realistic,” he said. “There’s going to be a mountain of work to do, and we expect most likely a tough opening, because it is F1. But we’re not there to remain at the rear. In my view with this setup, with these individuals, these people, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to progress rapidly up to the pace and taste victory.”
To realize that ambition recruitment has been in full swing, with staff now at in excess of 400 and scheduled to attain the goal of six hundred swiftly. Alongside their current base at Silverstone, the organization are in the midst of finishing an headquarters at Fishers in Indy and there is the General Motors facility in Charlotte, where they are constructing the plant to build the power unit, scheduled for 2029 – in the meantime they will use power from Ferrari – and the Toyota wind tunnel in Cologne. It is a complex organisation, contrary to the trend in Formula One for more centralization, and has led to the fresh organizational mindset to which the CTO referred to.
Apollo Blueprint
“It’s highly modelled on the NASA moon mission,” said Graeme Lowdon ahead of the British GP in July. “We’re realistic, we know how difficult it is. The deadlines, they’re super, super, super short. Alright, we aren't launching a lunar mission, but it can seem that way.”
So they have adopted, as opposed to the traditional management structure, a flat management structure similar to that of Nasa’s, where there were a variety of project teams all working on different aspects of the project in a variety of locations.
“In a system where you follow a procedure where a challenge emerges and they report it to their manager, that leader communicates with a leader at a different location, it travels back down, it becomes inefficient,” explains Nick Chester. “Therefore we enable team members to take charge. Moving away from management approval for everything is much smoother and faster.”
Upcoming Challenges
The effectiveness of this flexible approach will be proven in the heat of competition next season and there is a considerable amount on the line for F1, too. The Cadillac team have taken on as their reserve driver the young Californian Colton Herta
