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Approximately a full year ago at the Nevada Grand Prix, the Cadillac racing team were ultimately given the green light as F1's latest entry for 2026. Constructing the team from scratch has entailed a hectic operating tempo that the team principal, Graeme Lowdon, has likened to the Apollo moon landing. As F1 converges on Vegas this weekend, Cadillac understand the deadline is approaching.

The Countdown to Australia

At the season finale of the campaign to be held in the US, with just over a hundred days to go before they hit the circuit for the first time in Australia at the first race of 2026, Cadillac have made significant progress but, in what must seem like a never-ending endeavor, they are aware there will never be adequate time.

The CTO, Nick Chester, came aboard the embryonic project in March 2023 soon after it was created, when the organization were without even an official entry. He has been at its heart since then and has a wry smile when reflecting on the experience.

“There might be a short period reflecting at what the team has achieved and think: ‘Wow, what an achievement what we have built in less than three years,’” he says. “And then the very next instant you realize: ‘Yeah, we still have a great deal to do.’”

A Unique Task

The CTO enjoyed success at Renault in Fernando Alonso’s championship-winning seasons of the mid-2000s and was in charge of technical direction at the new Mercedes electric racing team, but no other project has been quite like the mission of launching the iconic American Cadillac brand, a factory team sponsored by the corporate entity, General Motors Corporation, into the pinnacle of motorsport.

“Building an grand prix team from scratch, how often do you get the opportunity to do that?” Chester remarks. “There's nothing comparable. In an established team you rarely get the chance to change organizational mindset.”

With every day that passes focus are sharper on the impending moment of truth in Melbourne and goals are being managed.

“One must presume that any new team joining the grid is probably going to finish last but merely participating will be an achievement in itself,” Graeme Lowdon commented recently and while Chester echoed this he thought the squad had a reputation to build as well.

“The initial objective we want to show is that we should be there,” he says. “In order that we show up and we perform competently. We want to show that this is a professional operation executing the right things on the track. When we’ve shown that we’re really credible, then we will focus on forward movement from there on.”

Racing Talent and Hiring Push

In late summer they contracted Checo Pérez and Valtteri as their racers for 2026, a tandem notable for their vast knowledge in operating at the sharp end in two top-tier teams, Red Bull and Mercedes, and Bottas expressed the mood of fighting spirit.

“Certainly, we’re realistic,” he said. “There’s going to be a massive task to do, and we expect almost certainly a challenging beginning, because it is F1. But our goal isn't to remain at the rear. I am confident with this setup, with this team, these personnel, there is every reason that we won't be able to progress rapidly to a competitive level and enjoy some success.”

To achieve that goal recruitment has been in full swing, with staff now at in excess of 400 and scheduled to hit the objective of 600 quickly. In addition to their existing facility at the Silverstone circuit, the organization are in the phase of building an headquarters at Fishers, Indiana in the Indianapolis area and there is the GM works in Charlotte, where they are developing the center to build the 2029 engine, scheduled for the 2029 season – in the meantime they will operate with Ferrari power units – and the aerodynamic facility in Cologne, Germany. It is a sophisticated organization, contrary to the trend in Formula One for more centralization, and has led to the new cultural approach to which Nick Chester alluded.

NASA Blueprint

“It’s highly modelled on the Apollo project,” stated the team principal just before the British Grand Prix in mid-season. “We have a clear-eyed view, we recognize how challenging it is. The schedules, they’re super, super, super short. Alright, we aren't launching a lunar mission, but it can seem that way.”

So they have implemented, as opposed to the conventional chain of command, a flat management structure comparable to that of the space agency's, where there were a assortment of Apollo teams all focusing on different aspects of the program in a variety of locations.

“If you have to go through a process where an issue arises and they escalate it to their manager, that leader communicates with a manager somewhere else, it travels back down, it’s super slow,” notes Nick Chester. “So we empower staff to take charge. Moving away from hierarchical consent for all decisions is far more efficient and faster.”

What Lies Ahead

The success of this flexible approach will be proven in the intensity of Grand Prix in 2026 and there is a significant degree on the line for Formula One, too. The Cadillac team have recruited as their reserve driver the young Californian Colton Herta