Lowdon says Cadillac must think like an established team despite rookie F1 season

Cadillac may still be in its debut Formula 1 campaign, but team principal Graeme Lowdon insists the American outfit cannot afford to think or operate like a newcomer.

Speaking ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, Lowdon explained that while Cadillac faces several unique challenges as Formula 1's newest team, its mentality must already match that of the established competitors it is racing against.

Asked when Cadillac would stop being considered a "new team," Lowdon said the answer depends on the area being discussed, but stressed that operationally there can be no excuses.

"I think it comes in different parts. Actually, as a team, we just come here, even after Melbourne, we can't just say, 'Hey, we're a new team and therefore we're going to operate differently,' or anything else like that."

Instead, he believes Cadillac must approach every race weekend with the mindset of a fully established Formula 1 organisation.

"From an operational point of view, we have to have the mindset that we are an experienced team. That's clear to me."

Although the team itself is new, Lowdon pointed out that its leadership is anything but inexperienced.

"We counted up, at one time, the number of years of experience at the management level of the team, and it was literally thousands of years of Formula 1 experience, but only a few months working together."

That combination of vast individual experience and a newly formed organisation means Cadillac must quickly learn how to function as a cohesive unit while drawing on the expertise already within the team.

"We need to lean into that experience to operate as all the other teams operate, because there's only one championship for constructors and we're in the same championship as everyone else."

Despite insisting the team's mentality should mirror that of its rivals, Lowdon acknowledged that Cadillac faces practical limitations that established outfits do not.

One example is the inability to run a Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) programme, simply because the team has no earlier Formula 1 machinery available.

"In terms of whether there are differences for a new team, yes, there are. We can't run a TPC programme for a couple of years because we don't have a previous car."

As a result, certain aspects of Cadillac's preparation inevitably differ from those of the more established teams.

"So, there are very real things that are different, and we do have to do certain things a different way. But not in terms of the mindset. In terms of the mindset, we need to operate just like every other team already."

Lowdon was also asked about comments from Sergio Pérez, who admitted he had expected Cadillac to be slightly further along in its development during its first Formula 1 season.

Rather than viewing those remarks negatively, the team principal said they reflected exactly what he expects from an experienced Grand Prix winner.

"Being in the game long enough, that's exactly the comment you would get from an experienced driver. The drivers are always going to want to push the team."

According to Lowdon, dissatisfaction is an essential part of Formula 1's relentless pursuit of performance.

"You ask anybody if they're happy with the performance within a team, and the reality is, in Formula 1, nobody's ever happy until you leave, because you're constantly looking to improve. Checo's no different."

Lowdon praised both Pérez and Valtteri Bottas for helping drive the organisation forward, saying their experience has been invaluable throughout Cadillac's debut campaign.

"I mentioned before about both him and Valtteri playing their part in pushing the team forward, and that's really important."

At the same time, he believes there is a fine balance between demanding more from the team and placing unrealistic pressure on a young organisation. Instead, Lowdon feels Cadillac has found the right internal dynamic as it continues to build its Formula 1 operation.

"One thing I would say is the way they've gone about it, I really like, because some drivers could push too hard, and if you push too hard in this game at the wrong time, the results won't come. It'll actually be negative."

"So, I think, throughout the team, we have a really good level of tension in a positive way, and you need that."

Ultimately, he says Cadillac's ambitions extend well beyond simply making up the numbers on the Formula 1 grid: "As I said before, we're not just here to be an 11th team. We're here because we've got some ambition. So I think that's really the root of his comments, unless he had a crystal ball and knew exactly where everything was going to be."