Towriss pushing Cadillac F1 to ‘exceed expectations’

TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss admits Formula 1 will be a big challenge for the new Cadillac team but says it is aiming to try and exceed expectations due to the affinity many fans have with the brand.

Cadillac will join the grid in 2026 after a drawn-out induction process that saw the original Andretti entry evolve with backing from General Motors. Towriss was a major driving force behind the project from the very start and says the anticipation is growing to provide fans with a new, American-based team to root for.

“I think just to see what a new team in Formula 1 can do [should excite fans],” Towriss told SiriusXM. “I think this is the time where it's really going to showcase American innovation, American ingenuity in the car, with GM's involvement. When you think of what's happening in Detroit, what's going to be built there, and Indianapolis, Charlotte…

“From that standpoint, this is a team fans can really get behind. Every single person I've talked to has a Cadillac story in some way. You know, their grandfather, their father, their mother, their car -- there’s an attachment to the brand.

“And so they're like, ‘I'm a fan of Formula 1, now I'm a fan of Cadillac Formula 1.’ We don't want to let those fans down, so every effort is going in to exceed expectations and try to deliver. But make no mistake, Formula 1 is very difficult. We know that. And so we're going to be bringing all that we have to do the best that we can.”

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The original entry was approved by the FIA but rejected for an entry in 2025 or 2026 by F1 at the start of last year, with the commercial rights holder stating it would be more open to accepting the new team in 2028. That was due to GM’s suggestion that it would build its own power unit, but after further negotiations and proof of GM’s plans, the rebranded Cadillac entry finally received confirmation of a place on next year’s grid in March.

“It was very difficult to get over the line,” Towriss admits. “But I think from where we stand today, our project, our effort, the Cadillac Formula 1 team is better off having gone through that.

“Formula 1, it shouldn't be easy. This is the pinnacle of motorsports. And believe me, they didn't make it easy. There were times, yeah, it was frustrating. It was like a moving goalpost.You would do the work, you got to a place, and then it was like, ‘and here's another thing you need to do.’ But we did it. We did it in spades. We got in.

“But I will say, now that we're in, we've been very welcomed by Formula 1. The support from the FIA, the welcome from the other teams has been fabulous. So, as we like to say, our work continues at pace, and we're getting ready for 2026.”

Saturday night in Miami saw a lavish party in South Beach where Cadillac unveiled the first brand imagery for the new team, and Towriss says the journey ahead to be on the grid for 2026 will be full of major milestones from now on.

“It's incredible to think about. I think we'll be a little busier next year and probably a bit more nerves, but that's really why we wanted to come out and do the logo launch that we had, was to really kind of set the stage and start to show people what Cadillac Formula 1 is going to be about.

“I think a lot of people have known Cadillac's coming, but what does that mean? What is it going to look like? What is it going to feel like? A lot of work has gone into that. And so [Miami] really was that launch, telling the whole world what that's going to look and feel like.

“I think some people wanted to see a driver announcement, some people wanted to see a livery announcement, but it's like, ‘Hey, we're not going to send everything out on one day!’

"There's a lot of build-up between now and Melbourne in 2026, and so there's more to come. Hang on, the livery's coming, drivers will be coming. Don't put me on the clock, but a lot of things are going to be happening there.

“But it was great just to kind of show the attitude, look and feel, what you can expect from Cadillac Formula 1, and to see all the GM brass show up, TWG Global brass show up, the fans, influencers, media, it was just a great event. We were super excited.”