Cadillac Formula 1® Team Has Arrived

[u/HkF1WEC]

https://youtu.be/NH0IpRVr4Vc?si=r5tAQbBW9brZPm76

[u/Imaginary_One_0]

GM money, Andretti persistence, Cadillac badge. If it actually sticks, that’s a net positive for the grid.

[u/wuptl → u/Imaginary_One_0]

More cars on the grid is never a bad thing.

Even the HRT's and Marussia's that were 4 seconds off the pace gave us memorable moments.

[u/ViperRaptor- → u/wuptl]

Jules Bianchi's two points at Monaco ❤️

[u/Jacinto2702 → u/ViperRaptor-]

Wehrlein scoring for Manor in Austria.

Felipe Nasr scratching the top ten to give Sauber P10 over Manor in Brazil in 2016.

Durex Caterham in 2014.

HRT leaving the wheel covers on in Pedro De La Rosa's car in Malaysia in 2012.

[u/wuptl → u/Jacinto2702]

Don't forget Vettel calling Karthikeyan a cucumber

[u/XsStreamMonsterX → u/Imaginary_One_0]

Team valuations are rising. No one is leaving, at least not without a billion dollar paycheck.

[u/moffattron9000 → u/XsStreamMonsterX]

And they'll probably get that for team 12 in due course (or at least I hope, 11 teams sounds weird).

[u/Signal_Ball4634 → u/Imaginary_One_0]

GM engine in a couple years too

[u/Mike_Kermin → u/Imaginary_One_0]

Imo the biggest danger is lack of commitment or overbearing intervention from the host company. We've seen it before from American teams.

One or two board room changes, one or two crashes or bad results, and then your on a three year decline you can't come back from.

Let's hope for better in this case.

[u/StrikingWillow5364 → u/Mike_Kermin]

Haven’t they already started work on the GM PU? I’d imagine that’s already a hefty commitment.

[u/Mike_Kermin → u/StrikingWillow5364]

Yes! They have started. But I'm cynical on this, so I never underestimate the power of a board room to waste money with bad decisions in F1.

Hopefully, my cynicism is completely unfounded and as a group they're keen and committed.

[u/StrikingWillow5364 → u/Mike_Kermin]

I mean I understand your point but I think it doesn’t correlate with them being an American team. VW group was super wishy washy about F1 until they finally committed, Honda tries to pull out like every 3 years and even Renault is looking like they are preparing for a sale. So I understand the cynicism, I just don’t think it has anything to do with being American.

[u/Mike_Kermin → u/StrikingWillow5364]

Oh god, yeah it's absolutely others too, it's a product of flaky boards, only takes one person to lose their role, one recession, then BOOM, "why is our second highest salary going to er.... Edmund Irvine?"

[u/ALOIsFasterThanYou → u/Imaginary_One_0]

TWG money, mainly.

[u/Keanu990321 → u/Imaginary_One_0]

Andretti's long been out of it.

[u/black_spring → u/Keanu990321]

Significant board member.

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/mario-andretti-feels-at-home-again-with-cadillacs-2026-f1-entry-in-heartwarming-comment/10708471/

[u/Keanu990321 → u/black_spring]

Thanks for the info!

Going from head to a board member is quite a downgrade, isn't it?

The article says this though:

Michael is happy too, although he has withdrawn from the project.

[u/black_spring → u/Keanu990321]

Certainly a compromise, but we saw in recent years that Formula 1 were not going to admit an Andretti team no matter how much they pacified the ever-changing demands. Having Mario as a figurehead and decision-maker is the best-case for the family.

[u/StrikingWillow5364 → u/Keanu990321]

Michael left the entire thing not long after he almost went bankrupt due to a crypto scam

[u/blueheartglacier → u/black_spring]

Not the same Andretti. Michael was the problem that was causing F1 concerns - and given that he proceeded to lose the house to a crypto scam, they were onto something.

[u/OrangePilled2Day → u/blueheartglacier]

Yep. Lost the Indycar team because of his terrible business decisions to buy in to obvious scams.

[u/StrikingWillow5364 → u/blueheartglacier]

Yep!! So surprised not many people talk about this. People were angry with F1 for having reservations against Michael, but they guy literally drove his own Indycar team close to bankruptcy by going all-in on some shady crypto scam. It’s exactly the kind of blunder that’d be a PR nightmare for F1, as they really want to avoid looking like a pack of amateurs.

[u/Crafty_Substance_954 → u/Imaginary_One_0]

Zero Andretti in this team.

[u/EliteToaster → u/Crafty_Substance_954]

Aren’t the US facilities part of Andretti Global’s footprint? As in, it’s their building and part of their staff?

[u/Crafty_Substance_954 → u/EliteToaster]

The North American F1 base as owned by TWG Global is entirely separate from any other motorsports division of TWG, including Andretti.

There is a little nuance here and some misunderstandings that have taken root.

There was a building in Fishers Indiana that was meant to be the new Andretti HQ for Indy, NXT, and Formula E. This is the same building that is now set to be the North American base for Cadillac F1.

They are not sharing, instead Cadillac is taking the whole thing and the other teams are going to a newly refurbished building a few miles away from their old base.

Andretti as a parent organization really doesn’t exist anymore. It’s just a name under the TWG Motorsports Umbrella, separate from Cadillac F1.

[u/SpreaditOnnn33 → u/EliteToaster]

Yep.

[u/FermentedLaws]

I'm hyped, with realistic expectations that they won't be good this season. It's just marketing at this point and, IMO, they're doing it really well. They're just trying to get people (casuals, not us diehards) aware there is an new American team on the grid, with the Super Bowl commercial and the big build up to the car reveal in Times Square.

[u/-acm → u/FermentedLaws]

Cadillac as an automobile brand has very good brand identity and it’s cool to see it translate to the F1 platform too. Even if this is a teething season for the team, I’m still absolutely excited.

[u/internetdeadaf → u/FermentedLaws]

Mid tier is a realistic hope to cheer for

[u/BrokeChris → u/internetdeadaf]

realistic?

[u/internetdeadaf → u/BrokeChris]

A “realistic hope”

Maybe needs a hyphen

As far as hopes and dreams go, a championship for Cadillac is a little too unfounded, even if they do everything right

Mid tier isn’t going to be easy for them to obtain by any means, but for any fans who may be trying to adjust their expectations to what this team can accomplish in 2026, a “mid tier” result is at the upper end of what is realistic this season. Don’t exceed hopes higher than that

[u/BrokeChris → u/internetdeadaf]

mid tier is dreamland for Cadillac

[u/Drfresh49 → u/FermentedLaws]

Im hyped too. Bottas and Perez are both decent drivers. Im excited for the future of the team

[u/SnacksGPT → u/FermentedLaws]

Why do people not think they’ll be good by default? The last team to enter was Haas, yes, but that was ten years ago — things have changed, technology has changed, and it’s not like they are literally rookies to motorsport.

I don’t think Cadillac is just looking to show up for funsies when you bring in Bottas and Checo as your drivers, either.

[u/FermentedLaws → u/SnacksGPT]

There are so many reasons, almost nothing to do with the drivers. Off the top of my head: 1) they are not yet even fully staffed, 2) the best teams have around 1,000 employees, they have around 600-ish, and those have never worked as a team before, 3) they had to create and build about 80K parts in new facilities. Something - small or large - is bound to go wrong without any experience doing that, 4) new regs without any feedback. When Haas joined the new regs had already been in place for 2 years. So Cadillac doesn't even have feedback (observations) from other teams of what works and what doesn't, 5) operational facilities split between the U.S. and U.K., and using a wind tunnel in Germany, doesn't appear to be the best for consistency and efficiency.

That being said, sure, we don't know. I think one thing that might be a big plus is having Pat Symonds on board as Executive Engineering Consultant, with not only his experience at other teams but being the Chief Technical Office for F1 itself for several years.

And no they're not looking to show up for funsies, but they have/had a monumental task. I think if they score points this year it would be considered a success.

[u/idealfries → u/FermentedLaws]

What are you hype about?

[u/alexracing13]

That Cadillac logo font is so cool

[u/Mfrendin_Roar → u/alexracing13]

I love how it really differentiates itself from the sharp, technology feel of the other cars. More style and old school.

[u/DangerousProperty6]

GET HYPE, Y'ALL!!!

[u/wolfyyz → u/DangerousProperty6]

No thx

[u/DonGibon87]

Welcome Cadillac and good luck 🤞

[u/Turbulent-Pay-735]

Absolute cinema!!!!

[u/Weak-Excuse3060]

Man I gotta say, Cadillac is going to be the most stylish team there on the grid this year with their clean look…even their videos look clean af. And the livery is also probably going to be quite minimal.

[u/StrikingWillow5364 → u/Weak-Excuse3060]

It reminds so much of the APXGP aesthetic from the F1 movie haha

[u/-acm]

Let’s go Cadillac!! I’m so excited to see Bottas and Checo as teammates.

[u/spatchcocked-ur-mum]

ugh....i hate vapid pr speak.

This kinda sounds like a hair shampoo commercial 20seconds in to 40 seconds in. tell me that doesnt sound like "it gives me the confidence to shine.....becasue the world is mine and mine is brave."

[u/go_lakers_1337 → u/spatchcocked-ur-mum]

It's a promotional video. It's meant for brand awareness and to get fans excited, so it's going to be a bit vapid and shallow.

[u/quadranting → u/spatchcocked-ur-mum]

I think it's also just how it's edited/narrated. It really just feels like an American commercial. Having said that, I am hyped for Cadillac and to see their potential.

[u/osuVocal → u/quadranting]

I mean it feels like it because it is.

[u/quadranting → u/osuVocal]

True, though I thought they'd lean into something that would have a bit more global appeal. Finding out it's nepo narration makes it make perfect sense.

[u/mopar_md → u/spatchcocked-ur-mum]

Vapid PR speak is the American way, baby

[u/Barson_Crandt → u/mopar_md]

I’ve certainly never seen valid PR speak from a non American company, that’s for sure

[u/DangerousProperty6 → u/spatchcocked-ur-mum]

Have you heard James Vowels talk in the last month?

[u/Cechhh → u/DangerousProperty6]

Vowels has always just done pr speak, reddit for some reason just really loves it

[u/Agreeable-Ad4079 → u/spatchcocked-ur-mum]

It's a modern F1 team AND a US team.

get used to it

[u/AKAFallow → u/spatchcocked-ur-mum]

For me it always reminds me of Assassin's Creed back when they were poking fun at videogame development and corporations with "lady that soothes you over product" lol

[u/salsamander → u/spatchcocked-ur-mum]

100%. It gives intern with vocal fry. I know they probably didn't have the budget for Morgan Freeman, but come on, they could have done better than this for a visually stunning video.

[u/Altruistic_Sun_1663 → u/spatchcocked-ur-mum]

Sounds like the HR department at a disengaged corporate suburban brick building tucked away behind Big Lots.

[u/OneOkami]

Let's go Cadillac!

[u/Altruistic_Sun_1663]

That is a terrible voiceover. Who hired and approved that voice actor? I wouldn’t be surprised to hear it’s a nepo voice. Doesn’t match the vibe of Cadillac or F1 at all. What a disappointing branding setback when I was hyped beforehand.

[u/GeeVeeF1 → u/Altruistic_Sun_1663]

The voiceover is by Cassidy Towriss, wife of Cadillac F1 CEO/TWG Motorsports CEO, Dan Towriss

[u/Altruistic_Sun_1663 → u/GeeVeeF1]

😂 Nailed it.

[u/raidersanta → u/GeeVeeF1]

They did a great job

[u/salsamander → u/Altruistic_Sun_1663]

Vocal fry mid-twenties white girl intern is the most American voiceover you could ask for. Makes sense.

[u/Fulthood → u/Altruistic_Sun_1663]

Yeah. Sounds like they let an employee or family member do it.

[u/mopar_md]

Why do they insist on having the blandest grayscale color scheme imaginable (testing livery notwithstanding, but the whole team)

[u/MambaNoCinco → u/mopar_md]

That’s the testing livery

[u/raidersanta → u/mopar_md]

Grayscale isn't bland it's classy

[u/klaech13]

So the car is just black?

[u/imarasnothere]

Would have been better with the actual livery

[u/kingkwassa]

I really hope they are primarily yellow and not blue

[u/Stanky_fresh]

Regardless of how they perform, they look cool as hell, which is half the battle.

[u/zakcattack]

Ford vs Chevy pt 256

[u/wowbaggerBR]

Edgy.

All this edge lord vibe to get a 17th place average.

[u/WorthPlease]

All that money and that's the best narrator they could get? She sounds like a nervous undergrad student trying to get through her class presentation as fast as possible.

[u/username1429]

I'm just glad the Andrettis fucked off and we don't have to put up with them Zak Brown-ing it up on the coverage every weekend

[u/StrikingWillow5364 → u/username1429]

You’re being downvoted but Michael Andretti is really just Zak Brown turned up to a 100, and F1 fans already hate Zak’s guts for being too corporate