Wayne Taylor Racing’s switch from Acura to Cadillac machinery doesn’t make the job of defending the team’s Sebring win from last year that much harder, Jordan Taylor told reporters.

“I don’t think it changes much. We’ve had a long history at this race. I think our first 12 hour was 2014 as a team. So a lot of history at the track in the event that we can rely on changing manufacturer,” said Taylor, in response to a question asked by Motorsport Week, on whether the change in manufacturer impacts WTR’s chances of defending the Sebring win harder.

The team, founded by Taylor’s father Wayne Taylor, himself a former racing driver, won Sebring last year with Taylor, Louis Deletraz, and Colton Herta driving the #40 Acura ARX-06.

However, for this year they have switched from Acura to Cadillac, becoming a General Motors factory team for the 2025 IMSA Sportscar Championship.

They previously used Cadillac machinery in the DPi era, so this is in some ways a return to the GM fold after a few years away.

The team’s first race with the Cadillac V-Series.R, at Daytona in January, didn’t go plan. Deletraz crashed the #40 car at turn 1 when the race restarted mid way through the 24 hours, with the car needing to be retired as a result.

The sister #10 car, of Filipe Albuquerque, Brendon Hartley, Will Stevens and Ricky Taylor, J. Taylor’s brother, finished fifth, a lap down.

A learning process with Cadillac

“[There’s] a lot to learn, but I think with this class being around for three years now, the Cadillac group can kind of bring us up to speed extremely quickly and help from learning the setup side, the systems side, how to strategize all those things when we go to this event,” continued Taylor.

“I think we have a big head start. Let’s say if we got a Cadillac last year, it would have been way more difficult, but I think we’re going into it well prepared.”

Meanwhile, Deletraz said: “I think it’s very interesting to have the switch because you learn from both sides and you can see the good and the bad. 

“We’ve been very fortunate to be well prepared, spend time in the sim, and GM has really brought us up to speed fast. Early in the season, we were still discovering things, but we feel much more ready to go into Sebring. 

“Definitely we keep learning every time we’re out on track, but I wouldn’t say the change is drastic. I think probably in the short term we’ll gain performance by being able to just work all together.”

Deletraz made the decisive move last year with just minutes left in the race, overtaking Sebastien Bourdais, in the #01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac V-Series.R, to take the win. He’d previously overtaken Porsche’s Felipe Nasr to move up to second.

With the race starting Saturday 10:10am local time, or 2:10 UTC, we’ll have to see whether Taylor, Deletraz, and their teammate Brendon Hartley, can defend the win for Wayne Taylor Racing, and take the team’s first win back with Cadillac.

READ MORE: Valkyrie GTP debut awaits with 56 entries for 12 Hours of Sebring

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The man tasked with being Cadillac F1 Team’s boss for its Formula 1 team has said the sport’s cost cap will give the team a platform on which it can build success.

Graeme Lowdon is the man to step into the role of Team Principal, officially so now the team has been named as the 11th team on the grid from next season after formal approval.

Lowdon was previously CEO of the Virgin Racing team, which entered F1 in 2010. Developed by Manor Motorsport and backed by Sir Richard Branson, the team transitioned into various guises under the Marussia banner before entering under Manor Racing, the outfit folding shortly after the end of the 2016 season, a year after Lowdon resigned.

The team were perennial back markers in its short time on the F1 grid, largely due to the then-nascent ideas on the cost cap.

Entering on the proviso such a rule would be in place, Virgin, along with other new teams – Lotus and HRT – were offered allowances on other rules if the cap was met.

As the cost cap was never brought in, all three teams struggled and disappeared off the grid.

Lowdon cited the cost cap, which eventually came into effect in 2021, as a key reason why he is confident Cadillac will not suffer a similar fate.

“The last time I was involved in bringing a new team in the goalposts changed hugely,” he said. “It’s a matter of history now what [we] went through.

“If you remember back to 2009, the battles to try and get something very odd back then called a ‘cost cap’, apparently just became an absolute impossibility and yet now it’s seen as a very positive thing within the sport by all the teams. So there’s been a significant change in the landscape of how you bring in a team.”

Symonds and other key Cadillac staff further underlines Lowdon’s confidence

Lowdon also cited the already-glowing crop of personnel within Cadillac as another reason to be optimistic, one key player being Pat Symonds, who was up until last year, F1’s Chief Technical Officer, giving him a plethora of knowledge on the upcoming 2026 regulations.

“[There are] Very experienced people are on board like Nick Chester, Pat Symonds, and on the commercial side Caroline McGrory.

“These are people who’ve spent decades in Formula 1.

“Pat’s an incredibly valuable addition to anybody’s team. It’s less that he was involved in the rules, it’s just he’s Pat Symonds and he knows what he’s doing and he’s got vast experience.

“I’ve been racing with him before so it wasn’t a difficult decision for me to look to go racing with Pat again because I know what he can do.

“Is it helpful that he understands the rule set? Yes, but I think that’s outweighed by just the fact that he’s good at what he does.”

Lowdon also said that whilst just “getting on the grid” is an initial goal, and that they are “very active” in the wind tunnel already, the “ambition […] is limitless,” however tempered this with further realism.

“Just being part of Formula 1 is not the objective,” he added. “We do want to be a meaningful part of the competition, but we recognise that that can take time.”

READ MORE – Cadillac formally approved as 11th F1 team for 2026

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Cadillac boss Graeme Lowdon has insisted the team will pick its debut Formula 1 line-up based on “merit” having been given the green light to enter discussions with drivers.

Last week F1 announced that Cadillac’s bid had been accepted to grant it access to the sport as the 11th team in 2026, coinciding with sweeping new rules being introduced.

The General Motors-backed organisation has been pressing ahead with expansive plans to assemble an F1 side since an initial intention to enter as Andretti began in 2023.

However, Cadillac was not permitted to engage in concrete discussions with individuals about a race drive until the FIA and F1 had approved the squad’s entrance.

But although that is no longer an obstacle, Cadillac has arrived at a time where the incumbent teams have tied down drivers to cover the impending regulation overhaul.

Lowdon, though, has highlighted that there are still several options available to Cadillac both inside and outside the F1 sphere as it aims to have the strongest pairing possible.

“We definitely select on merit,” Lowdon said. “Formula 1, it’s not a playground, this is the pinnacle of world motorsport.

“I think in terms of timing, it’s kind of a little bit odd because we’re out of sync with the other teams, we weren’t in the driver market during the fairly critical last round, so certain drivers are tied up for certain periods.

“Luckily for us, there are a lot of good drivers out there, unfortunately, we’ve not been able to be in the driver market until the entry was confirmed.

“It’s important for us to talk to a number of potential candidates. Do we see very talented drivers who currently aren’t on the grid? Yes, we do.

“We are going to be quite busy talking to a few people, my phone’s certainly been busy.

“What’s a little bit difficult because of the situation that we’re in as a new team, the timeline isn’t as laid out as it normally is.

“It’s normally quite clear for all of us involved in the driver negotiations.

“There are easily half a dozen, if not more candidates out there who offer extremely good credentials to be in Formula 1 or to be in Formula 1 again.”

Lowdon highlights Zhou amid management link

There are various F1 drivers with experience that are on the market, including Valtteri Bottas, Guanyu Zhou and Sergio Perez who have been resigned to time on the sidelines.

Zhou could have an edge given Lowdon is involved in his management team, but the Briton has denied that his relationship with the Ferrari reserve driver will have a bearing.

“It’s a little bit too early to go too much into any detail, because it’s only now that we’re able to have meaningful conversations,” Lowdon warned.

“But for sure, we want to have drivers that can contribute to the overall programme.

“I think Zhou’s done an exceptionally good job under difficult circumstances and what makes it actually quite useful for me is he doesn’t necessarily need to explain the background of his abilities because I’ve had a front row seat to see all that, so that’s a benefit.

“There’s the correct checks and balances in place, so there’s no favouritism in any particular direction towards him or any other driver that we may have involvement with on the grid.

“We’re there to do a job, so we’ll select drivers on merit. There are some really good ones out there, Zhou included.”

Cadillac open to having American driver

Mario Andretti, who is an advisor to the venture, revealed that an established F1 name alongside an up-and-coming American would be the ideal combination.

Lowdon has admitted that is a plausible scenario, but he stressed that an American would not be chosen over a more suitable candidate based solely on their nationality.

“The obvious question is whether we’ll have American drivers and personally, I see no reason why an American driver can’t be selected on merit as well,” he said.

“It’s certainly something that the fans would like to see, and I see no reason why that can’t happen. But the overriding objective is merit. We’ve got a job to do here.

“I don’t see any particular problem. I don’t envisage any particular problem on that front and as I said before, driver selection will definitely be on merit.

“What I’m trying to emphasise is just because someone’s American doesn’t mean that they can’t be a good Formula 1 driver.”

Herta F1 bow depends on FIA superlicense

Colton Herta is touted as the top American on the shortlist, though Lowdon highlighted that depends on him gaining the requisite points to be eligible for an FIA superlicense.

“With regard to Colton, so he doesn’t have the required number of superlicence points and if that were to remain the case, then that’s clearly an impediment for him,” he conceded.

“We can’t choose a driver that doesn’t have the points, that is just the real world that we live in and we just have to take that into account.

“Does his lack of reaching or the lack of being at the threshold for the superlicence in any way affect his ability to drive a race car? No.

“He’s incredibly talented, so it’s not shock news that we would be looking to Colton alongside a whole bunch of other drivers as well.

“He’s not the only one actually in that situation and he won’t be the first, he won’t be the last driver where there’s some uncertainty due to superlicence points.

“But we just have to live with that. That’s a regulation. We just have to respect it.”

READ MORE – Who should Cadillac charge with leading the American F1 dream?

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Cadillac has received formal approval from Formula 1 to join the grid in 2026 as the 11th team to go Grand Prix racing, the series revealed on Friday.

The American marque’s effort, backed by TWG Motorsports and General Motors was given the initial green light in November, shortly after the Las Vegas Grand Prix, but now the decision is beyond all reasonable doubt with this rubber-stamped approval.

In the interim time between November and Friday’s formal approval, the Cadillac F1 effort, a rebranded enterprise of Michael Andretti’s former failed bid, has begun putting pieces in place to ready itself for its 2026 debut.

That prep has included signing a Ferrari engine and gearbox supply deal, with plans already underway for a Cadillac powertrain to be developed in time for the 2028 season.

Moreover, the team has begun wind tunnel testing at Toyota’s Cologne facility and hired a Team Principal in Graeme Lowdon.

On Friday, a joint announcement by F1 and the FIA read: “following the completion of their respective sporting, technical and commercial assessments, the application by General Motors and TWG Motorsports to bring a Cadillac team to the FIA Formula One World Championship from 2026 has been approved.”

Cadillac team ‘important’ and ‘positive’ for F1 – Domenicali

Amid the announcement, Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of F1, said: “As we said in November, the commitment by General Motors to bring a Cadillac team to Formula 1 was an important and positive demonstration of the evolution of our sport.

“I want to thank GM and TWG Motorsports for their constructive engagement over many months and look forward to welcoming the team on the grid from 2026 for what will be another exciting year for Formula 1.”

Heading the enterprise from TWG standpoint is Dan Towriss, CEO of the company’s Motorsport’s division and the man responsible for taking over the Andretti bid once its figurehead Michael stepped away last Autumn.

“For the past year, we have worked hand in hand with GM, to lay a robust foundation for an extraordinary Formula 1 entry,” said Towriss.

“Now, with 2026 in our sights after today’s final approval from the FIA and Formula One Management, we’re accelerating our efforts—expanding our facilities, refining cutting-edge technologies, and continuing to assemble top-tier talent.”

Cadillac is a General Motors brand and GM is one of the largest automotive manufacturers in the world.

“We’re thrilled the Cadillac Formula 1 Team is official, as the team has been accelerating its work,” said GM President Mark Reuss.

“We’re incredibly grateful for the support from the FIA and Formula One Management leadership for us and for our partners at TWG. The excitement only grows as we get closer to showcasing GM’s engineering expertise on the prestigious global stage of F1.”

“Today marks a transformative moment, and I am proud to lead the Federation in this progressive step for the championship,” said FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

“The FIA Formula One Championship’s expansion to an 11th team in 2026 is a milestone. GM/Cadillac brings fresh energy, aligning with the new FIA 2026 regulations and ushering in an exciting era for the sport.

“GM/Cadillac’s presence in the paddock will inspire future competitors and fans. Their entry strengthens our mission to push motorsport’s boundaries at the highest level.”

Beyond Lowdon’s appointment, Cadillac has a Technical Director in Nick Chester, a consultant in Pat Symonds and appointed Russ O’Blenes as head of power unit development.

Moreover, the hiring spree over the past 12 months has included recruiting Rob White as Chief Operating Officer and former Haas stalwart Peter Crolla as Team Manager.

READ MORE – Mario Andretti: Colton Herta is ‘a great candidate’ for Cadillac F1

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Alex Lynn told reporters that fourth and fifth for Cadillac was the maximum the team had in qualifying for the FIA World Endurance Championship season opener at Qatar.

“I think it’s a really solid start for the team in our first outing,” he said. 

“We did really well from the first day of the Prologue and now we’re at the front, which is where we want to be. I think it’s going to be a super close race. 

“I think that was the maximum we had. I think we’re both at the right end of the grid, which is what we’ve worked for. Our race pace is strong so I think we can do well.”

Lynn qualified his #12 Cadillac V-Series.R fourth, 0.364 off the pace of polesitter Antonio Giovinazzi, in the #51 Ferrari 499P. His teammate in the sister #38 car, Sebastien Bourdais, was directly behind him, three tenths away from Lynn.

New dawn for Cadillac in WEC

After spending two years with Chip Ganassi Racing, Cadillac has a new factory partner team this year, in the form of JOTA. The British team formerly raced Porsche customer cars in 2023 and 2024, taking their inaugural overall WEC win at Spa last year, but have embarked on a new era for the team as its first factory partnership with a manufacturer.

The team has been quick all week, since the Prologue, and is now translating that into results. The race pace looks good too, just behind Ferrari in the long run pace analysis, with the new partnership certainly off to a good start.

Bourdais in agreement with Lynn

“Overall, a strong result for the team for our first qualifying together,” said Bourdais.

“It’s a long day ahead of us tomorrow, so hopefully we can have a strong, clean day and bring home the result that comes our way. 

“At the end of the day, I’m sure there will be a bit of a different pecking order. I think the car has been sensibly quick on long runs, so hopefully we can set toward the front and then hope that others make mistakes and we don’t. I think Alex probably got as much as there is in the car.”

The two American-flagged cars are in the mix with their rivals, with Ferrari in pole and in third, sandwiching the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 of Dries Vanthoor, who held pole until the very last second, when Giovinazzi stole it away. The sister #50 Ferrari will start third, which Antonio Fuoco qualified, and the other BMW, the #20 of Robin Frijns, qualified sixth.

The race will start Friday 28th February at 14:00 local time or 11:00 UTC. See the full qualifying results here.

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Mario Andretti has labelled Colton Herta as “a great candidate” for one of the highly-coveted Cadillac Formula 1 race seats in 2026.

Herta currently races for Andretti in the IndyCar series, a team that is owned and operated by the newly created TWG Motorsports, a new division of TWG Global which took over the running of the Andretti Global suite of motorsport entries formerly run by Michael Andretti.

That suite of outfits includes the Cadillac F1 team, which has agreed terms with the commercial rights holder and the FIA to join the Grand Prix circuit from next season.

Andretti, 84, is serving as an advisor to the Cadillac F1 project with the American marque undoubtedly leaning on the 1978 Drivers’ Champion’s knowledge.

The American racing legend believes that Herta, 24, a star of the IndyCar scene is a prime candidate for the Cadillac F1 project.

“Looking back at the way Colton has trained from the very beginning of his young career — as you know, he started in Formula 3 and so on with the likes of Lando Norris, and he’s done some F1 testing,” Andretti told Motorsport.com. 

“Zak Brown gave him a good test at Portimao in Portugal. You should see the report that we got from Andrea Stella. And Andrea is an individual that says it like it is — so again, he’s a great candidate. 

“And all of this has to be proven, of course, but going in, he’s a good bet, in my opinion.”

Herta hit best form in 2024

Herta had his best season to date in the IndyCar series in 2024, finishing second in the Drivers’ standings, taking two race victories and his first on an oval course.

Andretti believes that without “some mistakes” Herta could well have become champion.

“Some mistakes were made last year that cost him a championship, and unfortunately that happens,” he said.

“Sometimes you put too much pressure on yourself and then you make that mistake. 

“But when you look at the ingredients that were there, you had the ingredients of a champion. But for just one of those instances, he could have been champion. 

“So, when you look back and assess all those things, you’ve got to feel pretty good.”

Cadillac F1 driver selection ‘ongoing’

With less than 12 months until Cadillac is on the F1 grid, time is ticking for the American outfit to select its driver line-up.

Experienced heads such as Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez will no doubt be on the team’s radar, as will Zhou Guanyu, whose manager Graeme Lowdon is the Cadillac Team Principal.

Andretti revealed that the driver selection process is “ongoing” but confirmed that Cadillac has an objective to sign “at least one American driver”.

The 84-year-old explained: “You think about those things every day, and that’s going to become official probably mid-year.

“We are obviously looking at every aspect of every opportunity that’s there,” he added. 

“It’s clear that the objectives are to have at least one American driver and then another experienced driver alongside, and start like that.”

Herta unfazed by F1 talk

Herta’s name has been floated around the F1 paddock before.

AlphaTauri (now Racing Bulls) tried to sign the American for the 2023 season but failed to clinch an exemption from the FIA to hand the Californian a super license amid his insufficient points.

As it stands, Herta has 32 of the 40 points required to obtain a super licence and finishing in the top five of this year’s IndyCar standings will get him over the line, but he’s indifferent to speculation linking him to the Cadillac F1 seat.

“I’ve kind of been dragged around in this talk for, it feels like, half a decade now,” Herta told select media including Motorsport Week last month.

“I’ve had the carrot in front of me for a while. I’m kind of tired of that being the case, and I just want to drive at this point and focus on IndyCar this year and focus on winning a championship, and if something arises out of that, I’d have to think about it.”

READ MORE – Jenson Button backs Colton Herta for F1 success with Cadillac

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FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has revealed his desire for a Chinese manufacturer to join Formula 1 with a 12th team.

In November 2024, F1 and Cadillac agreed terms to bring the American marque to the grid in 2026 as an 11th team.

That brought an end to a lengthy saga that began with Michael Andretti launching his eponymous outfit through a prospective F1 team tender process instigated by the FIA.

Andretti passed the FIA’s scrutiny but failed to agree terms with Formula One Management and it wasn’t until he stepped aside and the bid was rebranded as General Motors’ official Cadillac entry that the American F1 dream was realised.

With a big player in the American automotive market sealing its place on the F1 grid, Ben Sulayem wants another major player to get involved as well.

“It’s been my dream for the last two years that the big countries should have a presence in Formula 1,” Ben Sulayem told French publication Le Figaro.

“The United States will be with General Motors. 

“The next step is to welcome a Chinese manufacturer. We already have a driver,” the FIA president added, referring to Zhou Guanyu.

However, Ben Sulayem stressed the need for quality over quantity, saying “Should we think in terms of quantity or quality? We need quality teams.”

Which Chinese marque could enter F1?

A Chinese marque in F1 makes sense given the series’ efforts to broaden its appeal in several international markets.

The Chinese Grand Prix has been handed a contract extension through the 2030 F1 season and the nation’s automotive market is the largest in the world.

In 2023, China produced over 30 million cars, more than the next three largest car-producing companies combined (USA, Japan and India).

If a Chinese marque were to enter the sport, a name like Geely would make sense given the brand’s recognition across international markets and its involvement with several other brands given its stakes in the likes of Volvo and Lotus.

Moreover, Geely and the Renault Group joined forces in 2024 to bring forth HORSE Powertrains, a company each brand has a 50% stake in to produce engines for each brand plus Volvo, Dacia, Proton, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Lynk & Co.

As well as this, Zhou already has ties with Geely as a brand ambassador and claimed the marque has interests in F1.

“Of course, they still have a high interest around motorsports, on Formula 1 in general,” he said.

Who else wants a 12th team in F1?

Beyond Ben Sulayem’s wishes for a Chinese manufacturer to get involved in F1 with a 12th team on the grid, former Alpine Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer revealed last year that he’d been working with a prospective entry.

Speaking on the James Allen on F1 podcast, Szafnauer said: “I’ve been working with some American funders and some car manufacturers to look at a 12th team for the future.

“At the time, when I started the project, it was going to be the 11th team, but now Cadillac is in, so they’ve got the 11th spot.

“So when they open up the process of adding the 12th team, I hope to be able to put in a robust case to allow the 12th team to go to the people that I have funding it, as well as the manufacturer that I’m working with.”

READ MORE – FIA president warns of potential F1 team radio ‘shutdown’

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Sergio Perez is touted to be targeting discussions with Cadillac over a potential return to Formula 1 with the prospective team in 2026, according to a recent report.

Perez’s ever-present status on the F1 grid since 2011 will come to an end once the upcoming campaign commences next month having lost his race drive at Red Bull.

Having amassed 85 points in the opening five races alone, Perez’s results nosedived as Red Bull’s competitiveness waned as he added 67 points in the remaining 19 rounds.

With his low return costing the team the Constructors’ Championship despite Max Verstappen winning the Drivers’ title, Red Bull opted to drop Perez once 2024 ended.

The six-time F1 race winner, who had been adamant up until the last round that he would retain his place, admitted he wished to take his time until deciding his next move.

Speaking once his Red Bull exit was publicised, Perez said: “Everything happened very quickly at the end of last season. I didn’t expect to leave the team.

“In the next six months, I will make a decision on what I want for the next step in my career.”

But according to Spanish publication Marca, Perez’s “big goal” is to get back in F1 and the Cadillac team represents a “good option” for him to accomplish that ambition.

The report aligns with comments that Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko made upon Perez’s exit being communicated as he suggested that openings could still arise.

 “I think he still hopes for Formula 1, although of course all the seats for next year [2025] have been given away,” the Austrian said via sport.de.

“But if he sits on the sidelines for one year, then of course, as an experienced driver, there can always be new opportunities for him.”

Cadillac aiming to hire established F1 name

One team that is certain to be interested is Cadillac, the General-Motors-owned team which has an agreement in principle to enter F1 as the 11th team on the grid next season.

Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 champion who is an advisor to the venture, has divulged that Cadillac’s intention is to partner an American driver with an established name.

When asked about potential interest in IndyCar star Colton Herta, Andretti told NBC: “You mentioning candidates, he’s definitely one that’s considered.

“From our standpoint, I think the play at the beginning would be to have one experienced driver -nationality doesn’t matter – and then a young American talent. 

“These are the objectives at the moment.”

Perez’s backing could give him an edge

Valtteri Bottas, available having been overlooked to retain his seat at Sauber, is interested in the gig and disclosed late last year that tentative discussions had begun.

However, Perez’s substantial backing could give him an edge over the Finn as Marca states that Carlos Slim and the sponsors he had at Red Bull will go wherever he ends up.

The outlet highlighted that Perez counts among a “few drivers who can say that he contributes to filling four circuits, such as Mexico, Austin, Miami and Las Vegas.”

Horner can envisage Perez at Cadillac

Red Bull boss Christian Horner can envisage Perez being picked to lead the Cadillac team as he expressed that he “wouldn’t be surprised” should his ex-driver end up there.

“I wouldn’t at all be surprised if they went for the experience of someone like Sergio if he wants to decide to continue his career in F1,” Horner told talkSPORT

Perez would bring ‘value’ to Cadillac

Meanwhile, ex-Haas Team Principal Guenther Steiner has also urged Cadillac to sign Perez, whom he believes would return to his best without the pressure at Red Bull. 

“If you’re Cadillac, you need somebody experienced,” Steiner said to GPblog. “Checo has been in quite a few teams for a long time. He knows his way around. He could be a big help.”

“Maybe put him (Perez) on a one-year contract, it’s a lot better than having old rookies in there. That’s an opportunity for Checo.

“And by then, a year of digesting the beating from Max, he recovers from the Dutch beating, so it could bring him to a better place again. I would say he could have value for Cadillac.”

He added: “I don’t want to be cynical here. He was up at the front of the grid last year.

“We need to be realistic. Fighting for one point because the car cannot be better is one thing but fighting for one point when your team-mate with the same car is winning races puts you in a different headspace, it’s a different pressure.

“Checo was very good when he was at Racing Point. He always overdelivered as an underdog. He couldn’t keep up with the pressure of the top team.

“So maybe it’s his comfort zone where he has not got that pressure to need to show that he’s good by winning, maybe that maybe puts him in a better place.”

READ MORE – Mexico GP organisers ‘very concerned’ by Sergio Perez Red Bull F1 exit

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Cadillac has plans to invest in a $150 million power unit facility in Concord, North Carolina to bolster its Formula 1 venture.

The American marque has been granted entry in F1 for the 2026 season and will be doing so under Ferrari power for two years.

That deal coincides with the 2028 entry point that Cadillac’s parent company General Motors wants to debut its bespoke F1 powertrain.

Work has already begun on the project at Hendrick Motorsports’ campus and the American outfit has already named Russ O’Blenes as CEO of the venture.

However, to bolster the project further, Cadillac wants to push forward with building its facility on a 10-acre plot adjacent to this at Defender Way, Concord.

Cadillac seeking government grants towards new facility

The development has come to light via a Concord City Council agenda, whereby Cadillac’s proposal to receive government grants towards the site will be heard on February 13.

Cadillac is seeking two grants, the first to go towards building the facility, which is set to cost $65-70 million and a second to go towards an additional $70-$85 million investment in transforming the structure into the American marques F1 engine base.

“The building design will be constructed with tilt-up concrete walls, including glass and metal accents,” read the Concord City Council agenda.

“The 204,045 square-foot facility features two stories and is completely air-conditioned for precision work. 

“There will be gated access and ample staff and visitor parking leading to the storefront entry, which opens to a class-A office and meeting space inside.

“The production floor is equipped with high illumination levels, pneumatic supply ports, and robust electrical service. 

“Fibre optic will feed the data centre, covered by redundant cooling and power, for a clear path to digitally empowered manufacturing.”

The agenda states its recommendation that a three-year grant worth $749,700 be awarded with the Concord local government slated to net $132,300 in revenue thereafter.

Building work to begin on Cadillac F1 engine hub in 2025

The second proposal regarding the investment required to transform the planned facility into Cadillac’s F1 engine headquarters is also underscored by the recommendation a three-year grant be issued.

This grant is worth $743,453 and the local government would be set to reap a three-year net revenue of $131,198.

Moreover, the local government agenda highlights Cadillac’s intention to begin construction in haste with plans to open in early 2027.

“This project aims to design and test a state-of-the-art engine capable of meeting Formula 1’s rigorous performance and efficiency standards,” the agenda read.

“With an ambitious timeline, the goal is to have the engine ready for integration into a vehicle by 2028, ensuring Cadillac’s competitive debut in Formula 1.

“It is anticipated that construction would commence in the First Quarter of 2025, with occupancy in the First Quarter of 2027.

“The project would involve significant investment in new manufacturing, R&D and information technology equipment, and the hiring of 300 to 350 highly skilled employees in manufacturing, engineering, and research and development with an average wage of $100,000 to $125,000 per year.”

Cadillac’s proposed engine facility will work in harmony with its UK base at Silverstone, which was opened before the American marque successfully took the reins over Michael Andretti’s failed bid to spearhead F1’s 11th team.

Design and construction of the F1 car will be carried out at Silverstone, with aerodynamic testing ongoing at Toyota’s wind tunnel facility in Cologne.

READ MORE – Why Cadillac F1 could benefit from using Ferrari suspension

The post Cadillac ramping up plans to build $150m F1 engine facility appeared first on Motorsport Week.

JOTA has named their driver pairings in the #12 and #38 Cadillac V-Series.R Hypercars for the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship season.

The UK-based outfit has unveiled 2009 Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button – taking on his second full-time WEC season – will partner Earl Bamber and Sebastien Bourdais in the #38 Cadillac.

Meanwhile Alex Lynn, Norman Nato and Will Stevens will co-pilot the other #12 Cadillac.

JOTA showcased their full six-driver line-up three months prior before they named the exact driver crews with the WEC Prologue test on 21-22 February imminent.

Team principal, Dieter Gass, commented on the driver selection: “We have six extremely strong drivers with a combination of experience and fresh eyes on the Cadillac program.

“Each of these drivers brings something unique to the table, and as a team, our job was to establish which combinations made the most sense to maximise the overall strengths of the group.

“While character and personality play a big role in team dynamics, driving style and preferences were also key factors in determining who would be paired in each car.

“We took our time over this process, and we’re really looking forward to seeing what both trios can achieve in Qatar and beyond.”

JOTA co-founder on ‘creating the right dynamic’

JOTA co-founder, David Clark added: “Getting that chemistry right, not only between the drivers, but the entire team is something we pride ourselves on as a team.

“There’s no one individual more important than the rest.

“Absolutely everyone has their role to play and creating the right dynamic in which everyone can achieve their best is crucial to on-track success for us.

“During pre-season testing we’ve seen an incredible team spirit already build between our drivers and their crews and this is extremely encouraging but we don’t take anything for granted.

“That’s the JOTA way.”

The crews comprised of JOTA drivers and Cadillac drivers, the latter of whom had recent experience in the machinery during Chip Ganassi’s WEC and IMSA efforts last year.

Cadillac joins seven other Hypercar manufacturers represented for the 2025 season with a pair of entrants from their new partnership with JOTA, in compliance with the regulations mandating at least two Hypercar entries per manufacturer.

JOTA, meanwhile, debuted in the Hypercar category midway through the 2022 season using a Porsche 963 before adding a second car last year.

It will be their first time as a factory-backed team looking to add to their breakthrough Spa victory last year, especially with the most iconic one at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 14-15 June.

Soon after the Prologue test, the Qatar 1812 km season-opener will take kick off the season on 28 February.

READ MORE:

• Five new stories to follow in the 2025 WEC season
• JOTA and Cadillac reveal 2025 WEC livery
• Cadillac partners with JOTA for new WEC Hypercar 2025 programme

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