Cadillac are already hitting out at rivals BEFORE their F1 debut

Symonds on 2026 regulations — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Cadillac are already hitting out at rivals BEFORE their F1 debut

Cadillac are joining the grid in 2026

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Monday 12 January 2026 14:26

A key figure within the Cadillac F1 team has already started to throw shade at other customer teams on the grid.

Cadillac are joining F1 in 2026, and will make their debut in the sport with Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas as their two drivers.

They will be a Ferrari customer team to begin with, using their power units just as Haas do, before their official partnership with General Motors will get underway in 2028.

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And now executive engineering consultant Pat Symonds has opted to talk about being a customer team, and how that doesn't necessarily stop you from challenging for championships, if you take your own direction on certain design decisions.

McLaren were a customer of Mercedes in both 2024 and 2025, when they claimed back-to-back constructors' championships while Lando Norris was able to win the drivers' championship.

"We're not doing it in the model of some of our competitors," F1 legend Symonds told media. "So we're taking the engine, and we're taking the gearbox cassette.

"But the whole of the gearbox carrier, the rear suspension, the front suspension, and indeed all those parts that some other teams are buying from suppliers, we're not doing that. We are designing from scratch.

"I'm a great believer in being in charge of your own destiny. And I think if you are a customer team, to me, that's not the way to win the world championship."

Where will Cadillac be running in 2026?

Being a customer team in 2026 should take some of the pressure off, with extensive power unit regulation changes meaning that power unit manufacturers have had to develop completely new hybrid turbos.

11 days of testing in Barcelona and Bahrain before the first race weekend should allow all the teams and manufacturers to iron out any teething issues, but the other new name in Audi will have the added stress of being a works team as soon as they enter the sport.

However, Audi have taken over an already established outfit in Sauber, whereas Cadillac are starting from scratch and have no idea really how all of their designed car pieces will function on the track.

Cadillac only had their entry granted by the FIA and Formula One Management back in November 2024, meaning it's been a quick turnaround to get the majority of their team together.

Team principal Graeme Lowdon has recently revealed that he has warned the board of directors that Cadillac will be running right at the back of the pack in 2026, despite their exciting, highly experienced driver pairing of Bottas and Perez.

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