Cadillac to believe in own abilities during debut season

The new Cadillac F1 team are not going to copy their rivals in 2026, according to Pat Symonds.

Cadillac will become the 11th team on the grid in 2026, the first time that F1 has had more than 10 teams since the 2016 season.

Their driver pairing will include experienced grand prix winners Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, while they are partnering with Ferrari for 2026 and 2027, using their power units.

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.

"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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