MELBOURNE, Australia — After a strong Formula 1 debut for Cadillac at the Australian Grand Prix, team leader Graeme Lowdon said the U.S.-based organization has earned its rivals’ respect and plans to build on a “really solid platform” for future success.
General Motors brand Cadillac had a short runup to the pinnacle of motorsports, and its debut Sunday at Melbourne’s Albert Park, having only gained its commercial deal with the international open-wheel series in November 2024, lthough preparations were well underway at its Silverstone Park base located next to the famous track in England.
The American team didn’t set the time sheets alight at 2026’s first race, with F1 veteran Sergio Perez finishing 16th after starting 18th while teammate Valtteri Bottas failed to finish after beginning 19th. But it can be proud it got two cars qualified and onto the grid for a race in the toughest series in the world and looked properly turned out as an operation.
“In terms of a first race for a new team, I’m really, really pleased with the way that the team’s done everything,” Lowdon, a 60-year-old Englishman who previously led F1 teams Virgin (2010-11) and Marussia (2012-15), told The Associated Press. “It would have been great to get both cars home, for sure. And I haven’t been in all of the meetings yet to see what the what the detail was on the problem we had with Valtteri’s car, but it certainly looked as if it wasn’t something that we had direct control over.
“But to get one car home, it’s just kind of a mark of the start of a very, very long journey. I’m kind of more pleased with the whole approach of the team. What I think we’ve created here is the foundations of something that could be really very special.”