"Cadillac is undertaking a task I once faced" Craig Pollock acknowledges that Cadillac is embarking on a challenging journey as it establishes a Formula 1 team from the ground up, yet he believes the timing for their entry is quite favorable. The former founder of BAR and the person who guided Jacques Villeneuve's career expressed to La Presse Canadienne that Cadillac is tackling similar obstacles that he encountered in the past. "Cadillac is doing what I had to do," Pollock stated. "You begin from zero, and you have to construct the team. That’s incredibly difficult." BAR, known for its rocky start in 1999 when it failed to achieve a single point, eventually made improvements. Pollock emphasized the need to manage expectations wisely this time around. "A team is not merely about assembling 400, 500, or 600 individuals," he elaborated. "Building a team takes considerable time. It may require three to five years." He is confident that Cadillac has taken lessons from previous experiences, citing the hiring of Graeme Lowdon, the former Marussia leader. "They won’t repeat the mistakes we made in the beginning," Pollock remarked, referring to BAR’s early overestimation of their potential for victories in their inaugural season. In contrast to BAR’s situation, Cadillac will enter the sport at a time of complete regulatory changes. "This is unequivocally the best moment to join as the 11th team," Pollock emphasized, highlighting that all competitors are essentially starting anew under the 2026 regulations. Pollock also endorsed Cadillac's selection of seasoned drivers Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez. "It’s a clever choice because they bring their experience from previous teams and can assist the engineers in making necessary adjustments," he noted. However, he qualified this by saying, "Both are excellent drivers, but in reality, they have consistently played the role of second driver on their respective teams." Regarding Aston Martin’s prominent recruitment of Adrian Newey, Pollock expressed some caution. Having collaborated briefly with Newey at Williams, he acknowledged the designer's exceptional competence but raised questions about his new position as team principal. "There are never any miracles in F1," Pollock cautioned. "We’ll have to see. It’s not just about him; it’s the entire team that surrounds him. Everyone needs to collaborate. But if he is pulled in two directions... that’s something I would avoid."

"Cadillac is undertaking a task I once faced" Craig Pollock acknowledges that Cadillac is embarking on a challenging journey as it establishes a Formula 1 team from the ground up, yet he believes the timing for their entry is quite favorable. The former founder of BAR and the person who guided Jacques Villeneuve's career expressed to La Presse Canadienne that Cadillac is tackling similar obstacles that he encountered in the past. "Cadillac is doing what I had to do," Pollock stated. "You begin from zero, and you have to construct the team. That’s incredibly difficult." BAR, known for its rocky start in 1999 when it failed to achieve a single point, eventually made improvements. Pollock emphasized the need to manage expectations wisely this time around. "A team is not merely about assembling 400, 500, or 600 individuals," he elaborated. "Building a team takes considerable time. It may require three to five years." He is confident that Cadillac has taken lessons from previous experiences, citing the hiring of Graeme Lowdon, the former Marussia leader. "They won’t repeat the mistakes we made in the beginning," Pollock remarked, referring to BAR’s early overestimation of their potential for victories in their inaugural season. In contrast to BAR’s situation, Cadillac will enter the sport at a time of complete regulatory changes. "This is unequivocally the best moment to join as the 11th team," Pollock emphasized, highlighting that all competitors are essentially starting anew under the 2026 regulations. Pollock also endorsed Cadillac's selection of seasoned drivers Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez. "It’s a clever choice because they bring their experience from previous teams and can assist the engineers in making necessary adjustments," he noted. However, he qualified this by saying, "Both are excellent drivers, but in reality, they have consistently played the role of second driver on their respective teams." Regarding Aston Martin’s prominent recruitment of Adrian Newey, Pollock expressed some caution. Having collaborated briefly with Newey at Williams, he acknowledged the designer's exceptional competence but raised questions about his new position as team principal. "There are never any miracles in F1," Pollock cautioned. "We’ll have to see. It’s not just about him; it’s the entire team that surrounds him. Everyone needs to collaborate. But if he is pulled in two directions... that’s something I would avoid."

      Pedro de la Rosa, an ambassador for Aston Martin, believes that the significant regulatory changes coming in 2026 could disrupt the competitive hierarchy in Formula 1 from race to race, providing a genuine chance for teams that have struggled recently. In an interview with El Larguero on Cadena SER, the Spaniard indicated that the next season will differ greatly from recent ones where attention quickly turned to the following year.

      "I anticipate a year full of changes," de la Rosa stated. "Teams that begin the season at the front are likely to trade places, becoming less dominant and experiencing shifts. Continuous improvements will be introduced. It won't be like this year when, midway through the season, everyone was already focusing on the next."

      He foresees relentless development. "The updates expected in 2026 will be very aggressive due to the completely new regulations," de la Rosa mentioned. "A team that performs well in the first or second race may not be in the same position by the fifth race, and vice versa. The team that succeeds will be the one that optimally develops their car over the course of the 24 races."

      With Aston Martin's technical enhancements and Adrian Newey designing the team’s first car for the new era, de la Rosa recognizes a unique opportunity. "Such a drastic rule change is rare," he remarked. "It's transformative on multiple levels, providing a chance for teams like ours that have faced setbacks, as it equalizes the competition and allows everyone to start anew."

      However, he advised caution regarding excessive optimism. "You speak with any team these days, and they all consider themselves champions," de la Rosa said with a smile. "That's why I prefer to stay grounded. Nevertheless, we’re performing well, we've strengthened our team, and we are extremely excited about what lies ahead."

"Cadillac is undertaking a task I once faced" Craig Pollock acknowledges that Cadillac is embarking on a challenging journey as it establishes a Formula 1 team from the ground up, yet he believes the timing for their entry is quite favorable. The former founder of BAR and the person who guided Jacques Villeneuve's career expressed to La Presse Canadienne that Cadillac is tackling similar obstacles that he encountered in the past. "Cadillac is doing what I had to do," Pollock stated. "You begin from zero, and you have to construct the team. That’s incredibly difficult." BAR, known for its rocky start in 1999 when it failed to achieve a single point, eventually made improvements. Pollock emphasized the need to manage expectations wisely this time around. "A team is not merely about assembling 400, 500, or 600 individuals," he elaborated. "Building a team takes considerable time. It may require three to five years." He is confident that Cadillac has taken lessons from previous experiences, citing the hiring of Graeme Lowdon, the former Marussia leader. "They won’t repeat the mistakes we made in the beginning," Pollock remarked, referring to BAR’s early overestimation of their potential for victories in their inaugural season. In contrast to BAR’s situation, Cadillac will enter the sport at a time of complete regulatory changes. "This is unequivocally the best moment to join as the 11th team," Pollock emphasized, highlighting that all competitors are essentially starting anew under the 2026 regulations. Pollock also endorsed Cadillac's selection of seasoned drivers Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez. "It’s a clever choice because they bring their experience from previous teams and can assist the engineers in making necessary adjustments," he noted. However, he qualified this by saying, "Both are excellent drivers, but in reality, they have consistently played the role of second driver on their respective teams." Regarding Aston Martin’s prominent recruitment of Adrian Newey, Pollock expressed some caution. Having collaborated briefly with Newey at Williams, he acknowledged the designer's exceptional competence but raised questions about his new position as team principal. "There are never any miracles in F1," Pollock cautioned. "We’ll have to see. It’s not just about him; it’s the entire team that surrounds him. Everyone needs to collaborate. But if he is pulled in two directions... that’s something I would avoid."

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"Cadillac is undertaking a task I once faced" Craig Pollock acknowledges that Cadillac is embarking on a challenging journey as it establishes a Formula 1 team from the ground up, yet he believes the timing for their entry is quite favorable. The former founder of BAR and the person who guided Jacques Villeneuve's career expressed to La Presse Canadienne that Cadillac is tackling similar obstacles that he encountered in the past. "Cadillac is doing what I had to do," Pollock stated. "You begin from zero, and you have to construct the team. That’s incredibly difficult." BAR, known for its rocky start in 1999 when it failed to achieve a single point, eventually made improvements. Pollock emphasized the need to manage expectations wisely this time around. "A team is not merely about assembling 400, 500, or 600 individuals," he elaborated. "Building a team takes considerable time. It may require three to five years." He is confident that Cadillac has taken lessons from previous experiences, citing the hiring of Graeme Lowdon, the former Marussia leader. "They won’t repeat the mistakes we made in the beginning," Pollock remarked, referring to BAR’s early overestimation of their potential for victories in their inaugural season. In contrast to BAR’s situation, Cadillac will enter the sport at a time of complete regulatory changes. "This is unequivocally the best moment to join as the 11th team," Pollock emphasized, highlighting that all competitors are essentially starting anew under the 2026 regulations. Pollock also endorsed Cadillac's selection of seasoned drivers Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez. "It’s a clever choice because they bring their experience from previous teams and can assist the engineers in making necessary adjustments," he noted. However, he qualified this by saying, "Both are excellent drivers, but in reality, they have consistently played the role of second driver on their respective teams." Regarding Aston Martin’s prominent recruitment of Adrian Newey, Pollock expressed some caution. Having collaborated briefly with Newey at Williams, he acknowledged the designer's exceptional competence but raised questions about his new position as team principal. "There are never any miracles in F1," Pollock cautioned. "We’ll have to see. It’s not just about him; it’s the entire team that surrounds him. Everyone needs to collaborate. But if he is pulled in two directions... that’s something I would avoid."

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