F1 boss reveals Ferrari loophole benefits

Cadillac F1 boss Graeme Lowdon has revealed that his drivers will be swapping a Cadillac simulator car for a real Ferrari car ahead of the outfit's first season in the sport.

The American-owned outfit are joining the grid as the 11th team in 2026, and will compete in the first season of wholesale new regulations that are sweeping into the sport next year.

Cadillac will use Ferrari power units for their first two seasons in the sport, before beginning a partnership with General Motors, who are joining F1 as a power unit manufacturer in 2028.

Former Red Bull racer Sergio Perez and 10-time grand prix winner Valtteri Bottas have been confirmed as the team's driver lineup for 2026, while Colton Herta will be the reserve driver.

Social media posts have already shown Perez working hard in the simulator for the team, with the team watching his progress closely.

Now, it has been confirmed by Lowdon that his drivers will be using a Ferrari car in order to continue their preparations, loaning an older car off the Maranello outfit. Lowdon has sought to ease the concerns of rivals about this deal, suggesting that they will more be using it to try out the processes within the team, rather than learning anything in particular about Ferrari's car.

"Actually, current team testing is kind of what we're interested in," he told Autosport. "We want to use a car, because in all of the simulations that we mentioned, we try and make it as real to life as possible.

"I think everyone gets a little bit wrongly concerned, that in some way we can get an advantage by testing someone else's car or something. But we're not testing the car, we're testing the people.

"Yes, we are looking to gain the advantage, but not from anything to do with the car. The advantages that we want is for our mechanics to have the same experience that all the mechanics in this pit lane are having every day working with each car."

"We're a [Ferrari] customer, so makes sense," he continued. "But as I say, we're not trying to learn anything from the car itself. I really don't really mind, as long as it's kind of right size and shape. It's just there to simulate, so I don't even care what colour it is.

"If we borrow a car off somebody, then that team needs to get the FIA to approve that we could use their car. And we involve the FIA in everything we're doing step-by-step, because we've got nothing to hide."

Where will Cadillac place in 2026?

Cadillac started work on their 2026 car last year, before their entry was confirmed and when they realised they would not be granted entry for 2025.

The team have four bases overall: Silverstone (where the race team and chassis designers will operate), Fishers, Indiana (the team’s headquarters and responsible for their car manufacturing), Warren, Michigan (the location of the General Motors Technical Centre) and Charlotte, North Carolina (where General Motors will develop of their power unit).

Despite the extensive preparation for 2026, Cadillac have set their expectations low and prepare to be running at the back next year, with team principal Lowdon sharing their expectations.

"In talking with our shareholders, we have discussions about what expectations should be," Lowdon said at Goodwood.

"The easiest way I can describe it to them is to imagine if you own a Formula 1 team for ten years, and then another team rocks up and beats you. You would be apoplectic; you would be so annoyed.

"So, you have to assume any new team coming in is going to be last, otherwise something's gone wrong somewhere else. And to a large extent, that's the only way you can set the frame."

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