Cadillac’s Lowdon buoyed by impact of Bottas-Perez experience

Graeme Lowdon believes Cadillac’s bold entry into Formula 1 is already gaining momentum thanks to the seasoned expertise of its veteran driver line-up.

The American manufacturer has entered the sport as the championship’s 11th team, and Lowdon has made it clear that experience – not experimentation – is the foundation of Cadillac’s early strategy.

By recruiting Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, the new outfit has paired technical intelligence with proven speed, giving the team what Lowdon views as an immediate competitive advantage.

Experience Delivering Instant Returns

Building a Formula 1 team from the ground up presents enormous technical and logistical challenges, but Cadillac’s leadership has turned to veteran insight to fast-track development.

Bottas and Perez bring with them years of data, adaptability and racecraft accumulated across multiple teams, car concepts and engineering cultures.

Lowdon says that wealth of knowledge is already translating into tangible progress during pre-season testing.

“It definitely complements because the great thing is we're getting accurate feedback straight away,” Lowdon told reporters during pre-season testing in Bahrain.

The ability to interpret a car’s behavior instantly and communicate clearly with engineers is proving invaluable for a team still defining its baseline.

“These guys are so experienced with multiple different teams, working with multiple different engineers and different cars, different power units, different chassis,” the Briton added.

“And yes, I know the '26 car is very different, but when a driver's giving you feedback in particular about handling and everything else, we're not wasting any time at all.”

For a newcomer, eliminating guesswork is critical – and according to Lowdon, that’s exactly what his drivers are helping the team achieve.

Speed, Precision and Confidence

Beyond their resumes, Lowdon is equally enthusiastic about the quality and immediacy of the feedback both drivers provide.

In the compressed environment of Formula 1 testing – where red flags, regulatory checks and tight run schedules often limit track time – clarity and speed of communication can shape an entire development program.

“We're getting super accurate, thoughtful, and valuable feedback straight away. That was fundamentally what we were looking at,” Lowdon continued.

“Quick as well, we've had a few little bits and bobs where the run plans have had to be squeezed, and there's some FIA tests, and you don't get a lot of time to do stuff.”

Even with limited laps available, the pair have demonstrated an ability to extract performance without hesitation. Lowdon highlighted a specific testing moment as proof of their readiness.

“We haven't actually done any real performance runs yet, but you saw yesterday that Valtteri went out on some C3s and only had one lap, because of the red flag procedures and stuff like that, but he was immediately able to switch it on,” he said.

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For the Cadillac chief, this combination of technical sharpness and outright pace encapsulates exactly what the team was searching for when assembling its line-up.

“It's what you want from a Formula 1 driver, super accurate feedback mixed with fast, really, really fast. We're really happy from that point of view.”

With optimism running high and two accomplished racers at the wheel, Cadillac’s Formula 1 debut is shaping up not as a tentative first step, but as a confident stride into motorsport’s most demanding arena.

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