The Cadillac F1 team is headed full-throttle toward its competition debut in the 2026 season, despite significant pushback from other teams and even Formula One itself. In its quest to help make Caddy a formidable competitor on the grid, Andretti Global officially signed veteran F1 engineer Pat Symonds as its Executive Engineering Consultant.
According to a report from Motorsport, Symonds, who most recently served as chief technical officer (CTO) for F1 itself, will soon begin work from the Andretti Global and Cadillac F1 headquarters in Silverstone. He spent seven years with F1, helping the organization outline its technical regulations for the 2022 and 2026 racing seasons. Prior to that, he worked alongside the Benetton team, winning several championships with Michael Schumacher behind the wheel, before joining Williams and ultimately heading to F1 itself. His experience and expertise will be crucial in getting the luxury marque’s F1 program up to speed when the time comes.
“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Pat to the Andretti family,” said Michael Andretti of Andretti Global. “Pat’s keen understanding of aerodynamics, vehicle dynamics and Formula 1 power units [engines] will be instrumental as we continue to build a competitive team.”
He added, “I believe his expertise has been pivotal in shaping the narrative of Formula 1 and his vote of confidence in joining our effort speaks volumes. I’m really happy with this next step as our work continues at pace.”
Cadillac V-Series.R race car at Long Beach
Andretti Global is still in the fight to make a Cadillac F1 team happen. The organization’s application was approved by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), but it was rejected by Formula One Management (FOM), prompting the U.S. Congress to step in and demand answers. In the absence of a response, FOM is now under investigation by the House Judiciary Committee in regard to the matter.
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