Graham Loudon: Preparations for the race are on schedule

      On Friday, March 7, it was officially confirmed that the Cadillac factory team will make its debut in Formula 1 in 2026 and will become the 11th participant in the World Championship.

      This is a joint project between General Motors and the American company TWG Motorsports, and work on it has been going on for years – if not for this, it would be unrealistic to have time to prepare for the debut, which is less than 11 months away.

      "In terms of race preparation, everything is on schedule," Graham Loudon, who once led the Marussia team and holds a similar position in the new project, said in an interview with the official website of the championship. – We don't just want to come to Formula 1 and race, we want to perform at the highest possible competitive level.

      From this point of view, of course, we would like to have more time and more people, because the more staff the team has, the better results can be achieved. But we understand that even the process itself requires enormous amounts of energy and effort.

      If we talk about the production schedule, we are happy with how everything is progressing. We spent a lot of time conducting tests and checking individual chassis components, including nose fairings and other elements.

      There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes, although much remains to be done. But now that we have received full recognition, our situation is already much better. We will have access to all the information that other teams have at their disposal.

      Now it's time to work harder and build as fast a car as we can. The team already has a significant staff, our position is quite favorable in this regard, and preparations for 2026 are continuing."  

      Loudon already has several hundred employees under his command, including such reputable technicians as Nick Chester and Pat Symonds, but the Cadillac F1 staff will gradually increase.

      "Formula 1 is a unique form of motorsport, so it's very important that we have people like Chester and Symonds working with us who have very deep knowledge and extensive experience,– Loudon added. – Many people in our team have worked together in other teams before. But what I'm already very proud of is the team spirit that unites everyone. We have all gone through a long process together, and this has really allowed us to build a team where everyone is brought together by common values and a common goal.…

      There are two key vacancies that have yet to be filled – these are, of course, the racers. Some have already contacted us and expressed interest in cooperation. Since our application has already been approved, signing contracts with the riders is becoming one of the priorities.…

      If we talk about the deadlines for its implementation, we have not set them yet, but, of course, we will announce everything when the time comes. Of course, we're going to choose the riders based on their achievements, but we don't see any reason why we shouldn't invite American riders. I think that's what a lot of fans would like.

      After all, Cadillac F1 is based in the USA, and although we have a unit in the UK, our headquarters are located in America."

      It is worth adding that the Cadillac F1 team has already created official accounts on social networks, and the number of subscribers has increased significantly since yesterday.