Graeme Lowdon, team principal of Cadillac in their inaugural 2026 season, is thrilled with the American racing team. The Brit has previously been involved in building the Formula 1 team Virgin Racing, but claims he has never been part of a project as well-structured, supported, and funded as this one. He has no intention of playing it safe, as the ambitions are ‘boundless’.
Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon is not shy about his ambitions. He wants to play a significant role with the American racing team in 2026, their first season in Formula 1. “Being on the grid should be a given for us. We just need to be there and we want to push as hard as possible.”
The Brit has previously been involved in building a team and thus brings considerable experience to Cadillac. At Virgin Racing, which made its Formula 1 debut in 2010, he was one of the key figures behind the establishment, where he was involved as Chief Operating Officer and later as team principal.
‘Never been involved in such a good project’
Lowdon suspects that the level in Formula 1 has not changed much since then. “Because I truly believe that Formula 1 is always the pinnacle. It is the best of the best in every time period. So the standard has always been high, but perhaps now consistently high.”
He compares the Virgin Racing project with that of Cadillac and is thrilled with the American racing team. “In terms of my previous experiences with building a team: I have never been involved in a project that is as well-structured, well-supported, and well-funded as this one. That completely changes the landscape, not just a little, but entirely.”
Participation May Take Time
However, Lowdon is not celebrating prematurely. He finds it ‘incredibly difficult’ to set expectations. “Yes, we have many experienced people, but a team operates through a very complex network of processes,” he points out. “What we don’t have yet, and what no new team ever has, is any form of validation of those processes. A good example is that we are currently very active in the wind tunnel, but we can’t correlate what the wind tunnel does with the circuit, because we are not racing yet. And you can’t just let a Formula 1 car race on its own, that’s simply not allowed under the rules,” he explains.
The team takes everything within reach ‘very seriously’. “We have high expectations of ourselves when it comes to what we have under control: delivering the car on time, with the right group of people. Our ambitions are limitless, we want to participate in the competition, but we acknowledge that this may take time.”
Major Commitments Made
Another challenge, that of joining Formula 1, has been overcome. Lowdon is relieved about this, especially because it was not a smooth process. “What has been most helpful for us is the strong foundation we have. The collaboration with The Wayne Group and General Motors makes the difference. It would be incredibly difficult to set up a team without such partners today. I also don’t think any team has ever made such major commitments, both publicly and financially, before the participation was officially confirmed. The investments that have already been made show how seriously our shareholders take this sport.”
