Cadillac’s official arrival on the Formula 1 grid is just a few months away now as preparations ramp up for the 2026 season.
The latest rule change is one of the most anticipated shake-ups of all time, with the potential to flip the outlook in the constructors’ championship on its head. Where Cadillac will slot into the picture is unclear at this moment, but they will already know how competitive they might be.
They made a canny move enlisting the experience of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez heading into the 2026 F1 regulations. It does mean that if they manage to underperform, the two in the car are unlikely to be the reason for that.
James Vowles disagrees with Perez about Cadillac and expects the North American outfit to struggle in their rookie campaign. In a bid to curb their lack of experience, Cadillac have offered rival F1 staff ‘three times’ their salary to make them a more lucrative place to work.
READ MORE: Sergio Perez now doing ‘invaluable’ work behind the scenes ahead of 2026 Cadillac debut
Cadillac could add to F1’s pit-lane ‘chaos’ in 2026 with two extra cars
It will have been a whole decade since Formula 1 last had 22 cars running by the time the start of next season rolls around. Back in 2016, the cars were considerably smaller and only just about fit in the pit-lane.
Amid a fiery pit-lane issue this season, which has seen collisions and arguments over drivers fighting for a spot in the queue during qualifying, adding Cadillac will only make policing and managing the situation more difficult.
Cadillac have beaten their F1 rivals to chassis tests for the upcoming season, but that’s probably down to the fact they’re not racing currently. When they do join the pack, The Race’s Josh Suttill reports that it will add to the ‘chaos’ of the pit-lane.
“There is another interesting element to next year, though,” he said. “That is, with Cadillac arriving, if the [pit-lane] games are still a part of F1, then there are going to be two extra cars joining in on the tactical chaos.”
READ MORE: Ted Kravitz suspects Sergio Perez’s Cadillac could have an advantage over Red Bull in one vital area
How are Cadillac preparing to join Formula 1 in 2026?
Ferrari are expected to ‘help’ Perez and Bottas prepare for their return to the grid in the coming weeks, as part of a partnership between Cadillac and themselves.
They’re going to supply them with engines for the next two years, and as they’re unlikely to be much of a threat to them at all, are happy to let them use an older car in a TPC test to help get them up to speed.
There are a few benefits to it, such as gaining some familiarity with the driveability and power delivery of the engine.
However, with a new layout for 2026, the way the power gets delivered to the rear wheels could end up feeling very different at pre-season testing in January.