How Cadillac aims to finally embody the ‘American dream’ in F1

In 2026, the much-hyped Cadillac F1 team will make its debut on the Formula 1 grid with team principal Graeme Lowdon at the helm. 

Their goals? Well, that’s simple. They’re hoping to embody the American dream.

Cadillac F1 turns to the American dream in Formula 1

Cadillac’s road to Formula 1 hasn’t been easy by any means. First starting life as an expression of interest as Andretti Autosport, the germ of an idea that will ultimately find its place on the F1 2026 starting grid will look far different than its original founders envisioned.

For starters, there’s a somewhat unexpected face fronting Cadillac F1: Graeme Lowdon.

Here in the United States, that was a signing that came with a bit of hesitation. It had nothing to do with Lowdon’s credentials as former Marussia F1 team boss and far more to do with the fact that Michael Andretti, son of 1978 World Champion Mario Andretti and former face of the team, stepped down.

It was only after Andretti’s departure did Formula 1 give Cadillac the go-ahead, and many of the American hopefuls began to wonder: Would this American team really be American? Or would it instead shed its national trappings in exchange for a more neutral global appeal?

To find out, PlanetF1.com arranged an exclusive interview with Lowdon, who hails from England, and his answer was decisive.

“We’re building an American team, make no mistake about it,” he assured us.

“You can tell from my accent, I’m not American. But America means a lot of things to a lot of people, and I think one of the key things that’s strong in the Cadillac brand — and it’s a real feature of their brand — is it embodies the American dream.

“As does Mario [Andretti], actually, as well.”

Understanding Cadillac F1:

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Lowdon is referring, of course, to the man whose surname established a motor racing dynasty in the United States. Originally born in disputed Italian territory, Mario Andretti grew up in refugee camps before his family made the daring move to America in search of a better life.

The Andrettis settled in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, just close enough to a local dirt track that Mario and his twin brother Aldo were able to transform their love of Grand Prix racing into oval domination. While Aldo stepped back from competing after a life-threatening crash, Mario continued ascending the motorsport ladder.

Mario Andretti became a star in the United States, where he won major events like the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500 before trying his hand at Formula 1. It would take several years of part-time competition before he finally committed to a series that paid far less than American motorsport, but it was to stunning effect: In 1978, he won the F1 World Championship at his native track, Monza.

While the Andretti name may no longer crown this American F1 entry, Cadillac has retained the racing legend as a non-executive advisor. And it’s Andretti’s heritage — and his deep respect for America — that continues to guide everything the incoming  F1 team does.

Graeme Lowdon may not be American, but he told PlanetF1.com that he “can understand things like [the American dream] instantly.”

While he pointed to the team’s in-progress headquarters in Fishers, Indiana as a prime example of Cadillac F1’s American soul, Lowdon did admit that many of the tangible, physical American aspects of the team are still a work in progress. But it’s still at the heart of everything they’re doing.

“The initial thing that hopefully we reflect is more the American dream,” he explained.

“We give everyone the facilities and the direction and we work hard, and we get there.”

Further, Lowdon’s respect of Cadillac’s American roots means he also holds a deep respect for the new generation of American fans. According to Nielsen Sports, F1 boasts 52 million American fans in 2025 — a truly remarkable turnaround compared to just a decade prior, when there was the very real possibility that F1 could nix America entirely from its schedule.

Now, American fans are too big a demographic to ignore, and Lowdon is fully prepared to give these fans the team they’ve been craving.

“The biggest asset Formula 1 has is its fan base,” he told PlanetF1.com.

“It’s enormous, it’s well-informed, it’s growing, and the fans are enthusiastic. To see that growth — in particular, in a country that doesn’t mind demonstrating its feelings of sport, whether they like something or they don’t like something — is a refreshing change.

“When the fans like stuff here, you really know it. We’re not left guessing.”

And he’s hoping Cadillac F1 will become a home for those fans.

“But not in a contrived way,” he assured PlanetF1.com. “As I said before, the fans are the most important element.

“If we don’t have the fans, it’s like cutting off the oxygen. The animal will die if you do it.

“That’s why I was so passionate about working to bring another team in, because I’m a fan, and I want to see more teams on the grid as well.”

The fact that the team is American — that it hopes to provide global legitimacy to fans that are often derided for their recency — is only another factor to be embraced and celebrated. And for those US-based fans craving a team to believe in, well — they’ll have one in Cadillac.

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