Cadillac have officially secured their first Formula 1 driver line-up with Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, marking a historic step for General Motors as they prepare to join the grid. However, despite these high-profile signings, the new 11th team is still facing a significant staffing shortfall as the countdown to their debut continues.
The 2026 Formula 1 season will feature 11 teams and 22 cars for the first time in over a decade, with Cadillac preparing to enter as the sport’s newest competitor. Team principal Graeme Lowdon is leading the effort from their base in Silverstone, where final preparations are still ongoing just four months before the team’s first pre-season test. While the long-term plan is to eventually move the entire operation to the United States, the initial years will see Cadillac primarily established in the UK.
Cadillac’s early years in Formula 1 will include a customer engine deal with Ferrari, a partnership that is expected to last until 2029 when GM plans to debut their own in-house power unit. In the meantime, Lowdon is reportedly exploring the possibility of using this relationship with Ferrari to strengthen his technical staff. The American manufacturer currently has one of the smallest workforces in Formula 1, and with Ferrari’s senior engineer Jock Clear set to leave later this season, Cadillac are believed to be in talks to bring him on board.
Staff recruitment has become one of Cadillac’s biggest challenges, with rival outfits particularly vulnerable to targeted offers. Reports from Autosport Web suggest that Alpine, based in Enstone, is seen as the most exposed team to Cadillac’s aggressive hiring campaign. Lowdon’s strategy allegedly includes doubling the salaries of certain recruits from competitors, which could tempt mid-level engineers and technicians away from teams with lower payrolls.
Cadillac aim to grow their workforce by more than 250 employees before the end of 2025, with around 100 of those expected to be recent university graduates. However, the majority of technical hires are set to come from existing Formula 1 outfits, especially those clustered in the UK. With Alpine already operating with the lowest payroll among the UK-based teams, their mid-tier staff are considered most at risk of being poached.
There are also suggestions that Cadillac could take advantage of a loophole in Formula 1’s cost cap system. While only the salaries of the top three team executives are excluded from the cap, Cadillac may be able to keep base salaries low while offering substantial signing bonuses as incentives to lure staff away from rivals. Any personnel leaving Alpine for Cadillac would likely be required to serve a period of gardening leave before beginning work in Silverstone, but the appeal of joining a fresh project backed by General Motors could outweigh the wait.
Meanwhile, Ferrari are expected to play a key role in Cadillac’s preparations ahead of their debut. Autosport Web has reported that Ferrari will allow Cadillac to test their 2023 Formula 1 car at the Fiorano circuit in late November. This session would count as a Testing of Previous Car (TPC) outing, which Ferrari are said to feel obliged to provide given that Cadillac will be a Ferrari engine customer in 2026. The opportunity to run the older-spec Ferrari is expected to be invaluable as Cadillac integrates its drivers and technical staff before their first official season.
The Fiorano test will also come shortly after Cadillac announced their driver line-up of Bottas and Perez, both experienced and race-winning competitors. With their signings in place and a growing technical structure supported by Ferrari, Cadillac are laying the foundations for their entry into Formula 1. However, their biggest challenge in the short term remains building a workforce capable of competing at the pinnacle of motorsport, and it is clear that rival teams such as Alpine could pay the price for Cadillac’s ambitious recruitment push.
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