A long-shot American dream hits the F1 grid as Cadillac debuts at the Australian GP

After five years of planning and navigating regulatory hurdles, an American team will finally join the Formula 1 grid at this weekend’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. But the journey to this moment has taken unexpected turns, with the project looking vastly different than originally conceived.

What began as Michael Andretti’s vision for an American F1 team has transformed into Cadillac F1, now owned by TWG Motorsports—led by sports mogul Mark Walter and businessman Dan Towriss—in partnership with General Motors. While Andretti is no longer involved in the project, his family name remains connected through the team’s first car, MAC-26, which stands for Mario Andretti Cadillac, honoring the 1978 F1 champion.

Walter brings substantial sports ownership experience to the venture as the controlling owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, with significant stakes in the Lakers, WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, Chelsea F.C., and other sports properties. Towriss, founder and CEO of financial services company Group 1001, maintains a diverse motorsport portfolio including Andretti Global in IndyCar, Spire Motorsports in NASCAR, and Wayne Taylor Racing in IMSA.

The road to F1 has been anything but smooth. Despite initial rejection from Formula 1, the group persisted, developing a car and engine without official approval. “We ran into a lot of obstacles, a lot of voices telling us not just ‘no,’ but ‘never,'” Towriss explained. The team’s entry was finally approved exactly one year before this Sunday’s race, marking the first new team to join F1 in nearly a decade since Haas entered in 2016.

To build their program, Cadillac has hired experienced drivers Sergio “Checo” Perez of Mexico and Finland’s Valtteri Bottas. The choice of Perez is particularly strategic, as he’s immensely popular in Mexico, where General Motors has a significant market presence.

Expectations for the team’s debut season are modest. As newcomers, many predict Cadillac will initially struggle against established competitors. The team will lease engines from Ferrari for the first two seasons until their own power unit is ready. They’ve paid a $200 million anti-dilution fee to compensate existing teams for potential impacts on prize money distribution.

The team has already begun testing, with initial runs at Silverstone in January followed by participation in F1’s official preseason testing in Barcelona and Bahrain. Operationally, the team maintains a unique structure with General Motors’ power unit facility located near Hendrick Motorsports’ campus outside Charlotte, primary headquarters near Silverstone in England, and additional operations in Fishers, Indiana.

Looking ahead, former IndyCar driver Colton Herta could potentially join the team if he performs well in Formula 2 this season, which would make him the first American F1 driver since Logan Sargeant’s brief tenure in 2023. This would further cement Cadillac’s positioning as “America’s team,” despite Haas F1’s decade-long American presence.

“The historic debut of the Cadillac Formula 1 team in Australia is the realization of a vision that has driven so many of us at General Motors,” said GM President Mark Reuss. “To bring Cadillac back to the tier one set of global luxury brands, F1 is a vital part of the equation.”

Branding is central to Cadillac’s F1 identity, with much of the team’s aesthetic approach guided by Cassidy Towriss, Dan’s wife. Her insights as a knowledgeable motorsports fan and representative of a key demographic have proven valuable in developing the team’s distinctive look. The team debuted its 2026 livery during the Super Bowl, signaling its ambitions to capture American audiences.

Towriss describes the team’s personality as embodying “the American dream with a touch of edginess,” emphasizing that they “didn’t come into Formula 1 to look like every other team.” This distinctive approach extends from their livery to their facilities, merchandise, and marketing.

Despite the challenges that typically face new F1 teams—many take a decade or more to find success, if they survive at all—Towriss maintains high aspirations. “If I am leading a team, that’s the tone I want to set,” he said. “If you just want to have a job with a race team, go do that someplace else. Come here because you want to build something special.”

While careful not to create unrealistic expectations publicly, Towriss admits that internally, the drive to compete is intense: “In private, we’re gonna push. We’ve been very careful not to put things out that set unreasonable expectations. But at the same time, it doesn’t mean that there’s not this insane drive to go fast, to start competing with people.”

As the Australian Grand Prix approaches, Cadillac F1 stands ready to begin writing its chapter in Formula 1 history.