With the possibility of working on the 2026 cars, the Cadillac F1 project can officially launch with a view to its arrival in the Formula 1 world championship in 2026. With the start of this new team, we also had confirmation of the debut of Pat Symonds as executive engineering consultant.
“I am delighted to announce that as of January 1, I have officially started my new role at Cadillac as we build our team to compete for the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship” Symonds wrote.
“It's an exciting challenge because, if the 2026 pre-season testing follows the 2014 model, we have less than 400 days until the car runs. General Motors has a long tradition in motorsport, and I remember as a young boy seeing the Chaparral 2F win the BOAC 500 at Brands Hatch.”
“Jim Hall, the man behind the Chaparral, always recognized GM's contribution to this program. More recently, through its Chevrolet and Cadillac brands, GM has been competitive in sports car racing, more than being an engine supplier for IndyCar from Le Mans to Talladega, from sports cars to stock cars, they know how to win.
“At the same time, as the pinnacle of motorsport, they fully respect the innovation and excellence required in Formula 1 and what it will take to build the team to replicate the success they have enjoyed in “Our first Formula 1 car will use a Ferrari engine and transmission while awaiting the development of the all-new Cadillac engine.”
“Building a Formula 1 car is a daunting but well-researched task. The timelines and milestones are well established and the team already has a large number of experienced people who have been designing and developing the car for some time .”
“Alongside them, others have put in place the necessary processes to ensure we can meet the tight deadlines and unwavering quality demanded by Formula 1. At the same time, we are putting in place the infrastructure necessary to meet the challenge at our Silverstone base.
“Starting from scratch, as the saying goes, offers far more opportunities than challenges. The team will be built not only around the highest engineering standards, but also the highest ESG standards, and we will strive to make them the best team to work for in Formula 1.”
Nikolas Tombazis, who worked at the FIA with Symonds to develop F1's technical regulations, praises the engineer's work: “As far as the relationship with the FOM, yes, Pat played a very important role. We worked closely together.”
“I wish him good luck in his new projects. Our relationship with the FOM has never been stronger and we discuss it very closely. So, of course, this represents a bit more of a burden for us, the FIA, but I think it’s under control.”
