Former Formula One Chief Technical Officer, Pat Symonds, has officially commenced his role at Cadillac, marking a significant step forward for the American manufacturer's ambitious entry into the 2026 F1 World Championship.
Symonds, who played a pivotal role in shaping the sport's current ground-effect regulations and its upcoming 2026 overhaul during his tenure as CTO at Formula 1, announced the start of his new chapter on LinkedIn , offering a glimpse into the scale and ambition of Cadillac's project.
The 70-year-old, a veteran of the sport with a distinguished career at Renault and Williams, was appointed as Cadillac's Executive Engineering Consultant last year, shortly after his departure from Formula One.
The Briton will now leverage his vast experience to guide Cadillac's F1 program.
"I am delighted to announce that today I officially take up my new role at Cadillac as we build our team to contest the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship," he wrote on LinkedIn.
Cadillac's Tight Timeline
“It is an exciting challenge as, if the 2026 pre-season testing follows the pattern of 2014 (when we last had a new power unit), we have less than 400 days until the car runs.
Despite the tight timeline, Symonds highlighted General Motors' rich motorsport heritage as a key asset in their F1 endeavor.
“General Motors (GM) have a long motorsport tradition, and I remember as a young boy seeing the Chaparral 2F win the (1967) BOAC 500 at Brands Hatch,” he reflected.
“Jim Hall, the man behind Chaparral, always acknowledged the contribution GM made to that program.
“More recently, through their Chevrolet and Cadillac brands, they have been competitive in Sports Car racing in addition to being a power unit supplier to IndyCar.
©GM/Cadillac
“From Le Mans to Talladega and sports cars to stock cars, they know how to win.
“At the same time, as the pinnacle of motorsports, they fully respect the innovation and excellence required in F1 and what it will take to build the team to replicate the success they have enjoyed in other series.”
Building from a 'Clean Sheet of Paper'
Cadillac's F1 operation is taking shape at its Silverstone base, and Symonds expressed optimism about starting from scratch.
“Building a Formula 1 car is a daunting but well-documented task,” he admitted.
“The timelines and gateways are well established, and the team already has plenty of experienced personnel who have been designing and developing the car for some time.
Pat Symonds with Cadillac F1 team principal Graham Lowdon.
“In parallel to this, we are building the infrastructure to support our challenge at our base in Silverstone.
“Starting with the proverbial 'clean sheet of paper' presents far more opportunities than it does challenges.”
A Talented Team Assembles
Symonds joins a roster of experienced figures at Cadillac, including Technical Director Nick Chester and COO Rob White, with whom he shares a history from their days at Enstone during the Benetton and Renault eras.
As a reminder, Cadillac appointed former Marussia and Manor team boss Graham Lowdon as its Team Principal last month.
Armed with a clean slate, an experienced roster, and GM's extensive motorsport pedigree, Cadillac looks poised to make a significant impact when it joins the F1 grid in 2026.
For Symonds, it's the beginning of an exciting challenge to bring an American powerhouse to the pinnacle of motorsport.
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