Cadillac will enter Formula 1 in 2026 as the 11th team on the grid, with a brand-new car built to the new 2026 F1 regulations. The car will initially use a Ferrari 1.6-liter V6 turbo-hybrid power unit and switch to a fully in-house General Motors (GM) engine from 2029.
Many of the finer details (specific chassis name, target final weight, suspension layout, etc.) are still under wraps, but the key specifications have already been defined by the FIA regulations and what Cadillac has officially announced. This article collects everything known so far and attempts to explain it in simple, clear language.
Cadillac F1 quick facts and headline specifications
Team identity
Item
Details
Team name
Cadillac Formula 1 Team
Ownership
General Motors (Cadillac) + TWG Motorsports joint venture
Debut season
2026 FIA Formula One World Championship
Initial engine supplier
Ferrari (customer power units and gearbox cassette)
Own engine from
2029 (GM Performance Power Units LLC, FIA‑approved)
2026 race drivers
Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas
Team principal
Graeme Lowdon (ex‑Marussia)
Chief Technical Officer
Nick Chester (ex‑Renault technical director)
Key engineering advisor
Pat Symonds (ex‑F1 Chief Technical Officer)
Board member
Mario Andretti (1978 F1 world champion)
Facilities
Location
Role
Silverstone, UK
Main F1 technical/race base and aero operations
Fishers, Indiana, USA
US team HQ / operations base
Near Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Dedicated GM Performance Power Units facility from 2026 onwards
Other GM sites (Warren, etc.)
Engineering and corporate support
2026 F1 rules, applies to all teams
Area
Key figure / rule
Engine architecture
1.6‑litre turbocharged V6 internal combustion engine (ICE) + hybrid system
Total power
Still around or above 1000 bhp (≈750 kW) combined, but with a 50:50 split ICE:electric
MGU‑K electric power
Up to about 350 kW (almost triple current systems)
Manual override
Extra electric “push‑to‑pass” style battery boost for the following car
MGU‑H
Completely removed from 2026
Fuel
100% sustainable, energy‑flow limited instead of simple fuel‑mass flow
Minimum car weight
768 kg including tyres (about 722 kg car+driver + ~46 kg tyres)
Dimensions (max)
Wheelbase 3400 mm, width 1900 mm (smaller than current cars)
Aero
~30% less downforce and ~55% less drag vs current cars; active aero front & rear wings (X‑mode/Z‑mode)
Tyres
Pirelli, 18‑inch wheels; narrower: 280 mm front, 375 mm rear
The Team Behind the Cadillac F1 Car
Cadillac isn’t just buying cars, it’s building a complete F1 operation from scratch with some very experienced people.
Key people
Graeme Lowden : Team Principal Former Marussia sporting director, now leading the race and operational side of the Cadillac F1 team.
Nick Chester : Chief Technical Officer Former Marussia technical director who oversaw several generations of F1 cars built by Enstone in the mid-2000s, including the title-winning machinery.
John McQuilliam : Chief Designer Former design lead at Maru Jordan and Manor, played a key role in turning the rules into real cars.
Pat Symonds : Technical Consultant Formerly Formula 1’s own chief technical officer and the main architect of the 2022 and 2026 regulations, now advises Cadillac on how to best use the same rules.
Russ O’Blanc : CEO, GM Performance Power Units Heads the GM-TWG power unit company that will develop Cadillac’s in-house F1 engine through 2029 and beyond.
Mario Andretti : Board Director/Advisor The 1978 F1 world champion, now on the team’s board under TWG, brings legacy and political weight.
Infrastructure and staff
The Silverstone base, which is located close to several other F1 teams, offers access to UK motorsport talent and an established engineering ecosystem.
There is a US base at Fishers, Indiana, which is linked to the Andretti/TWG Motorsport hub.
A dedicated power-unit facility is due to open in Charlotte, North Carolina, from 2026 for the GM engine project.
More than 300 technical staff are already working on the 2026 car in aerodynamics, chassis design, simulation and software.
The structure is designed so that the chassis and future GM engines can be developed as an integrated package, even though the team will initially run Ferrari power units.
Cadillac F1 Car Technical Specifications & 2026 F1 Rules
Before looking at Cadillac-specific information, it’s important to understand what will change in 2026, as these rules define the car’s basic layout.
