Cadillac chose the biggest stage in American sports to officially unveil its first-ever Formula 1 livery, dropping the reveal in a high-profile advertisement during the NFL’s Super Bowl. The American brand’s Ferrari-powered challenger, the name of which hasn’t been disclosed yet, immediately turned heads with a striking, asymmetric design. The car will sport a two-sided livery: the left flank is painted in a grayish-white, while the right side is entirely black. It is a bold aesthetic choice that recalls the 1999 BAR livery, which famously featured red and white on one side and blue and yellow on the other to satisfy competing sponsors.
Sponsors and Veteran Talent
While the design is aggressive, the partner portfolio visible on the car is currently selective. The team’s owner, TWG, appears on the sidepods, while the rear wing endplates display the logo of IFS, a Swedish software firm. Further inspection reveals American bourbon heavyweights Jim Beam on the bargeboards alongside Claro, a Mexican telecommunications company. Claro is a longtime backer of Sergio Perez, and its sister brand, Telcel, has a discreet placement near the cockpit, confirming the commercial weight the Mexican driver brings to the team. Additionally, fashion giant Tommy Hilfiger features among the logos on the nosecone.
“This livery represents far more than a paint scheme; it represents who we are and what we bring to Formula 1,” CEO Dan Towriss stated regarding the launch. “Every detail is intentional: bold, modern, and unmistakably American, while respecting the heritage and precision that define this sport.” Towriss noted that revealing the car in the heart of Times Square and during the Super Bowl was a strategic move to connect with fans at the intersection of performance and pop culture.
Piloting the new machines will be two of the sport’s most experienced hands. Both Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas are returning to the grid after spending the 2025 campaign on the sidelines. The pair brings a wealth of experience to the startup team, boasting a combined 16 Grand Prix victories and 106 podiums, with Bottas securing the majority of his silverware during a five-year stint with Mercedes.
Understanding the Arena: The F1 Sprint
As Cadillac prepares to join the fray, they are stepping into a calendar that looks significantly different from the traditional schedules of the past. While the bulk of the 24-race season still revolves around the classic Grand Prix format, six of those weekends have been designated as F1 Sprint events. For a new team, understanding the nuances of these high-pressure weekends is critical.
The Sprint is essentially Formula 1 with a little less conversation and a lot more action. It is a short, standalone race covering 100km—roughly one-third of a typical Grand Prix distance—and lasts about 30 minutes. The organizers designed this length to encourage a dynamic, flat-out melee rather than a strategic chess match. Unlike the main Grand Prix, there are no mandatory pit stops. While changing tires isn’t technically banned, the race is simply too short for a pit stop to be strategically viable.
Venues for these events are specifically chosen based on overtaking potential, ensuring the Sprint remains an aggressive dash from lights out to the checkered flag. There are real stakes involved, with points awarded to the top eight finishers on a sliding scale from eight points for the winner down to one for eighth place.
A Shift in Weekend Rhythm
For teams like Cadillac, a Sprint weekend completely upends the standard engineering schedule. A traditional F1 weekend usually unfolds comfortably over three days with three one-hour Free Practice sessions (FP1, FP2, and FP3) allowing teams to dial in their setups before Qualifying and the Sunday race.
On a Sprint weekend, that luxury of time evaporates. Two practice sessions are deleted. Friday features just one practice session followed immediately by Sprint Qualifying, which sets the grid for the Sprint race. Saturday is then dedicated to the Sprint itself, which replaces FP3, followed by the main Qualifying session for Sunday’s Grand Prix. This lack of running puts immense pressure on teams to nail their car setup immediately; get it wrong on Friday morning, and the entire weekend can be compromised.
The Sprint Shootout
The session that determines the starting order for the short race is known as Sprint Qualifying. Taking place on Friday, it follows a similar knockout format to standard qualifying but with condensed timings. The session is split into three segments: SQ1 (12 minutes), SQ2 (10 minutes), and a rapid-fire SQ3 (8 minutes).
The bottom six drivers are eliminated after SQ1, and another six are cut after SQ2, setting positions 11 through 22. The remaining 10 drivers fight for the front of the grid in SQ3. Adding to the tactical complexity, tire choices are mandated: drivers must use medium compound tires in the first two stages and switch to soft tires for the final shootout. It is a rigorous test of adaptability, one that Cadillac and its veteran drivers will need to master quickly as they aim to make their mark on the grid.
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