Even before the first race, poison arrows are flying back and forth between Ford and Cadillac: But Cadillac team boss Graeme Lowdon thinks this is a good thing.
Cadillac team boss Graeme Lowdon thinks it’s a good thing that poison arrows are already flying back and forth between the two US giants Ford and General Motors, as this adds another level of interest to Formula 1.
Both companies will be entering Formula 1 in 2026: Cadillac will be fielding its own team (but without its own engine), while Ford will be involved in engine development as a partner of Red Bull Powertrains.
Cadillac F1 CEO Dan Towriss dismissed Ford’s contribution to Red Bull as a “marketing deal with very minimal impact” – claims that were dismissed by the manufacturer as “patently absurd.”
For Graeme Lowdon, however, the “hostility” between the two parties is not a problem: “There has been a healthy rivalry between GM and Ford for years. They even made a Hollywood movie about it. So it’s real and it’s there,” he told Motorsport.com’s global edition at the Autosport Business Exchange in London.
“We take a completely different approach. GM is a co-owner of our team, so that’s a completely different approach, as far as I know, to the one Ford takes. But we have GM DNA throughout the team because they are co-owners,” he emphasizes.
Lowdon is also convinced that the rivalry will continue. “We’ve seen many times in Formula 1 that fans actually like rivalry, as long as it doesn’t go too far, of course. So I think it’s just another level of interest in Formula 1,” he says.
Cadillac is strongly emphasizing its US identity and will unveil its new livery during a commercial during the Super Bowl halftime show next week. “I think the Super Bowl thing is just so cool,” says Lowdon.
“We told everyone when we were trying to get in as a new team that we wanted to take new fans on this journey. There are few things more American than the Super Bowl. It’s such a huge event and it brings together sports, music, and culture. And I think it’s also a way to attract new fans.“
”I don’t think any other Formula 1 team has done anything like this in the past, so we’re just bringing something new to the table. And if it attracts new fans to the sport we love, then that’s a good thing. But I also just think it’s cool.”