Cadillac F1 approach called ‘suboptimal’ as major relocation rumours addressed

As Cadillac F1 ramps up its facilities in the United States, the approach has been branded “suboptimal” if titles are the goal.

That is the verdict cast by Otmar Szafnauer, one which he claims to have said to the face of Cadillac’s executive engineering consultant Pat Symonds, receiving a telling response. Szafnauer’s comments come as new Cadillac team principal Marcin Budkowski moved to hush rumours of abandoning the Silverstone ship, and staff being given an ultimatum to relocate or face being axed.

Cadillac F1 goals under scrutiny

Cadillac created a new base at Silverstone for its key manufacturing and logistics planning, having arrived on the grid as a brand new team for F1 2026.

A new manufacturing facility is being constructed in Indianapolis. It will also house the windtunnel and Dynisma simulator.

Meanwhile, the General Motors power unit project is to be housed at a facility under construction in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Symonds previously told the Autocar podcast that Cadillac was building its Formula 1 team from the UK out of “necessity,” but “the idea is to transition everything to the States.”

Manufacturing of essential items like front wings and floors would likely remain at Silverstone, and concept design initially, according to Symonds, but the main manufacturing effort was to move to the United States “reasonably soon” according to the Brit.

Szafnauer, speaking via the High Performance Racing podcast, claimed that he discussed Cadillac F1’s approach with Symonds.

The former Aston Martin and Alpine team boss made a comparison to the UK-based Mercedes team, in challenging the effectiveness, to his mind, of Cadillac’s strategy.

Mercedes is one of six teams which operates solely out of the UK, alongside Red Bull, McLaren, Alpine, Aston Martin and Williams.

Ferrari is currently the only team without a presence in the UK.

“I was with Pat Symonds on a flight recently. Pat is working with or for Cadillac,” Szafnauer began.

“Cadillac are building a base in Indianapolis. I said to Pat, ‘That’s suboptimal.’

“If for example, you have the same talent of drivers that Mercedes have, and if for example Cadillac produces the same performant power unit that Mercedes has and you understand vehicle dynamics, aerodynamics, the tyres, as well as Mercedes do, the only difference is you have got some of your design team based in Silverstone, and your aero guys, some of your design team based in Indianapolis, and your simulation team in South Carolina [sic].

“That’s the only difference. Who is going to win? Mercedes.

“So I said to Pat, ‘That is suboptimal.’ He said, ‘It’s only suboptimal if you want to win the world championship.’

“So that’s my point, first the objective. If the objective is to make it more of an American team, then yes, build in Indianapolis and in South Carolina [sic]. But if your objective is to win the world championship, then you do everything it takes to win the world championship, and that ain’t it.

“From what Pat said, the plan is to make it an American team.”

Rumours cropped up recently via the Paddock Access podcast that Cadillac had issued ultimatums to its staff to relocate to the United States as part of this transition, or find another job.

Budkowski was asked about this planned shift and the rumours by PlanetF1.com. He told “anybody who has doubts” over its Silverstone hub as a “temporary facility” to “come and visit because it’s quite impressive.”

He added: “We are effectively building some facilities in the US as well. We will progressively develop a footprint in the US, whether that’s through manufacturing capability or others, which I’m not discussing here in detail.

“But, at the moment, all the rumours that the team will move there shortly, etc., are totally unfounded. And again, anyone who has doubts about this should come and visit us in Silverstone because we’ve built a really impressive facility there.”

More on Cadillac from PlanetF1.com

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Earlier this year, Cadillac F1 CEO Dan Towriss gave an update on the new Indianapolis facility.

“We’re hoping that construction will wrap-up later this year, or in the first quarter of 2027,” he told PlanetF1.com and others, “as we continue to get the building right and figure out exactly the manufacturing components that are going to be there.

“So we’re super excited. That’s going to be a state of the art facility.”

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

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