New F1 team boss: “We are banned from using the Formula 1 name”

Cadillac Formula 1 crew chief Graham Loudon said the team is prohibited from using the “Formula 1” name in open job positions until participation is officially confirmed.

In 2023, General Motors and Andretti Global announced their intention to bring the Cadillac brand to Formula 1, but the championship rejected their application. Despite this, the team continued to seek staff until Andretti Global CEO Michael Andretti resigned in October 2024.

In November 2024, GM confirmed that it had reached an agreement with Formula 1 for Cadillac to enter the championship as the 11th team in 2026. Official confirmation of Cadillac’s entry into F1 from the FIA ​​and Formula 1 took place in March 2025.

Graham Loudon talked about the recruitment process and restrictions on the use of the Formula 1 name.

Loudon said: “We advertised a lot of vacancies before we officially joined, but we couldn’t use the word ‘Formula 1’ because we didn’t have the right to do so. So they wrote ‘position at the highest level of motorsport’ and that became the secret word of Formula 1.”

The team aimed to hire 525 people by December 31, 2025 and advertised 595 positions.

“We received 143,265 applications. It was incredible,” the Cadillac executive added.

The American team is preparing for the first official tests in Barcelona, ​​which are scheduled to begin on January 26, 2026. Drivers include Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas.