Cadillac F1 Team Set for Miami Debut After Four-Year Build‑Up

TL;DR: Cadillac’s Formula One squad will race at the Miami Grand Prix with Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, seeking to surpass its top result of 13th place recorded in China.

The Miami International Autodrome hosts Cadillac’s first American Grand Prix start, a milestone that follows a 14‑month approval and four years of development. The two‑car entry arrives after four races in the 2024 season, where the team’s highest finish was Bottas’s 13th place at the Chinese Grand Prix.

Team chief Graeme Lowdon reported enthusiastic street‑level support, noting that fans approached the crew in Miami, expressing excitement to see a U.S.‑based F1 team. "People are new to Formula One because of Cadillac," he said, highlighting the brand’s role in expanding the sport’s domestic audience.

Drivers Bottas and Perez bring experience from multiple podiums in other teams. Bottas, a former Mercedes driver, described the Miami stop as “super special” and expects strong backing from the home crowd. Perez, who posted the team’s first lead‑lap finish in Japan, will aim to convert that consistency into points.

Technical regulations introduced this season have narrowed the performance gap between established manufacturers and newcomers. While dominant teams such as Mercedes still lead the championship, the revised rules give first‑year outfits like Cadillac a realistic chance to compete for points, especially on a circuit that rewards aerodynamic balance.

Cadillac’s early results show incremental progress: 16th in Australia, 13th and 15th in China, and 17th in Japan. The five‑week interval between Miami and the Japanese round offers additional development time, though the team acknowledges that maintaining momentum will be critical.

If Cadillac scores points in Miami, it would mark the first championship‑scoring finish for the American marque and could accelerate sponsor interest and talent recruitment. Failure to do so would reinforce the challenges new entrants face despite the regulatory leveling.

The weekend begins with practice on May 1, followed by qualifying and the race on May 5. All eyes will be on whether the Cadillac F1 team can translate its four‑year build‑up into a competitive showing on home soil.

What to watch next: Cadillac’s qualifying performance and any points finish, which would signal a breakthrough for the fledgling American effort.