LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Cadillac officials are hard at work trying to get the team in a good place and ready by the time they join the Formula 1 grid next season.
You may remember that back in March, they received approval from the FIA and Formula One Management to become the 11th team on the grid. They will be the second American grid on the team, in addition to Haas.
"Through the long and thorough application process, we never lost pace in planning or belief in our mission," team principal Graeme Lowdon said back in March. "We can’t wait to go racing and give fans a new team to cheer for."
We caught up with Lowdon to see how things are going and learn more about the team's ties to Las Vegas. He said getting a team race-ready in less than a year is a challenge they've tackled head-on.
"You have to design and build your own car. So in one year, we've had to not just build the car. We've had to design it. We've also hired all the people to design it and then build factories that are going to build the car — all within a year," Lowdon explained. "We can't be even a day late. We can't turn up in Melbourne [the first race of the year] a day after everyone else and say 'Hey. We're ready.' Time is the enemy, but the key thing is in the team, we've just got really, really good people throughout."
You might be wondering where those factories are being built, and Lowdon said they'll be right here in the United States.
"The headquarters that we're building in Fishers, on the outskirts of Indianapolis, it's going to be a really, really fantastic facility. I think it'll be not just the best facility in Formula 1, but I think it'll be something that fans in the U.S. can hopefully relate to," Lowdon said. "We're not just putting an American flag on a car. We're investing heavily in facilities in the U.S., with a new engine shop in Charlotte, the facility in Indianapolis. But also, ultimately, over time, this is going to be a Formula 1 car manufactured in the U.S. as well. That's really, really important. We're not just saying we're an American team. We are the American team."
Cadillac will also have an American driver representing them in Formula 1 and Formula 2, and he has ties to Las Vegas. Colton Herta has been selected as a test driver for the Formula 1 team and will race in Formula 2 for the Hitech squad. Herta competed in the IndyCar series from 2018 to 2025. He also bought a home here in the valley last year.
"He's stepping out of the IndyCar spotlight for a while. He's going to enter Formula 2 racing around the world and also the support to Formula 1. He's doing it because he wants to be in Formula 1. He wants to learn the circuits, the tires, and I really commend that," Lowdon said. "That's what a sportsman would do. That's what a real racing driver would do, and anyone who's met Colton will know he's a real race driver."
It will also take some time to get him ready to work up to Formula 1, which is a big difference compared to Formula 2.
"It's absolutely huge. The way the cars behave. The way the tires behave. Just the sheer technical support. Formula 1 teams now have got maybe 1,000 to 1,200 people just to have two cars on the track," Lowdon explained. "So when you're a Formula 1 driver, you have all of that responsibility. [It's a] huge number of engineers, both at the track and in remote operations centers away from the track. It's such a change from anything else, and I think it's important for a driver to have that ability to work with the team, learn how teams operate. That's what Colton's doing, and he's a really nice guy as well. It's just great to have him around."
As Formula 1 continues to grow in popularity, especially in America, Lowdon says he's looking forward to growing a new fanbase that will support them right here in Las Vegas next year.
"People are learning about these drivers and their personalities, and that's bringing a lot of new fans into the sport, and people relate to them. American fans, I think, would really relate to Colton, and it's the same with the team," Lowdon said. "I wear this shirt proudly with the Cadillac logo on it. Both here and in Austin, people are stopping us on the street, and they're saying we can't wait for you guys to be on the grid next year and want to support Cadillac. That's really cool and that's what sports [are] all about."