The new Cadillac F1 team is currently in “advancing discussions” with several drivers as they evaluate options for their inaugural 2026 season lineup, according to team principal Graeme Lowdon.
Set to join the grid as the 11th team, the project is a collaboration between American automotive giant General Motors and TWG Global, known for its stakes in sports entities like Chelsea and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Lowdon indicated that since the team`s entry was confirmed in March, the availability of two new seats for the upcoming season has attracted interest from “a long list of very, very good drivers who are keen.”
Drivers such as multiple race winners Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, who the article states lost their respective places on the grid at the end of the previous season, are considered among the top contenders. Additionally, former Sauber driver Zhou Guanyu and Aston Martin reserve Felipe Drugovich have also been mentioned as potential signings.
Speaking in an exclusive interview from the team`s UK base at Silverstone, Lowdon commented on the pool of potential drivers:
“The good thing is we know a lot of the drivers who are out there.”
He elaborated that this includes both emerging talents and experienced Formula 1 veterans:
“Both the younger guys who have been coming up through Formula 2 and also the more established drivers who have a lot of Formula 1 experience. We talk to these people all of the time and we try and spend time in the paddock as well.”
Lowdon stressed that the primary focus until now has been on developing the car:
“The main focus up to now has been building the car. I think if we reach Melbourne and there was no car for a driver to drive, then nobody would thank us at all.”
However, he confirmed that driver talks are advancing:
“But that said, we are advancing discussions with a number of drivers.”
Regarding imminent announcements, he advised:
“We won`t be announcing anything at Silverstone as such. But, I would say, watch this space.”
Did Valtteri Bottas` Social Media Post Hint at a Cadillac Seat?
Valtteri Bottas, whom the article describes as currently a third driver for Mercedes after losing his Sauber seat last season, recently created a buzz on social media. He posted a video featuring himself next to a Cadillac road car, posing the question, “Do we like this seat?”
When asked if the post carried any deeper meaning, Lowdon responded:
“I saw that post – well, it shows he`s bought a Cadillac!”
Regarding the selection process, Lowdon mentioned they have flexibility due to their timeline:
“But in terms of selecting the drivers, there`s a real mix of skills… We`re out of synchronisation with the other teams at present, we`ve got a little bit of time and we can spend that time making sure that when we do announce the driver line-up, it`ll be the right one.”
He expressed hope for fan reception:
“We hope that the fans will be excited by it as well, and hopefully excited by the fact that there`s a new team on the grid that they can follow.”
Embracing the Challenge: “No New Team Has Any Right to Be Anywhere Other Than the Back”
On the timeline for their first race in Melbourne (March 6-8), Lowdon noted the team`s awareness:
“It`s a number that`s on the wall of every office that we have. We have a countdown clock, which shows the time between now and free practice one in Melbourne, so everyone`s acutely aware of the timeline.”
He confirmed the team is on track:
“We`re on target.”
He also revealed progress on the car itself:
“We`ve been in the wind tunnel with a `26 car for quite some time.”
Lowdon, who has prior F1 management experience with the Manor/Marussia team (2010-2015), discussed the formidable challenge of competing at the pinnacle of motorsport:
“It`s super difficult. It`s intensely competitive, it really, really is.”
He acknowledged the inherent difficulty for new entrants, especially with upcoming rule changes:
“There is a regulation change so we are yet to see how other teams will adapt to that but no new team coming into Formula 1 has any right, in reality, to be anywhere other than the back of the grid. So obviously our challenge is to try and move forward and we`ve got all the right ingredients.”
Concluding on the team`s aspirations, Lowdon balanced realism with ambition:
“Whilst we are very realistic about the task in hand… I think it is important to have ambition and you can see from TWG and from Cadillac, this is a team that does have vision and ambition to move forward. But we know how difficult that is.”
