The High Performance Podcast How Cadillac Are Secretly Building an F1 Superteam: Team Boss Graeme Lowdon (E359)
Purpose Drives F1 Team Success
- Build a team with diverse talents united by a common purpose and ambition.
- Purpose and ambition fuel team spirit and maximize individual potential.
How Building a Formula One Team Is the Ultimate High-Stakes Gamble
Graeme Lowdon reveals that launching a Formula One team like Cadillac's requires a monumental gamble, including spending hundreds of millions of dollars months and even years before official entry is confirmed. He explains there is no clear guide to entering F1; it begins with convincing the governing bodies to open the entry process and then demonstrating serious commitment by building a team and factory from scratch without any guaranteed race seat.
This process demands hiring top talent without being able to promise F1 participation, highlighting the trust and risk involved. Despite the uncertainty, the ambition and backing from owners like General Motors and TWG make this "unlimited ambition" possible. Graeme sums up the challenge: "you can't wait until you get the entry. You just have to start building the team now."
Their preparation even at this early stage sends a strong message to the sport that Cadillac is serious, setting a new precedent for starting an F1 team.
Start Building Before Entry
- Start building your Formula One team before officially gaining entry.
- Commitment shown by building infrastructure early reassures governing bodies and stakeholders.