Former Haas chief Guenther Steiner has called for Cadillac to drop its 2026 Formula 1 chassis and completely re‑allocate its resources toward the 2027 car.
Cadillac’s 2026 Struggles
Cadillac entered the championship at the outset of 2026 with a seasoned driver line‑up featuring Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas. The American outfit still aimed to score points as the season progressed, but ongoing reliability issues have left the team 11th in the constructors’ standings with no points to its name.
Leadership Coupled with Strategy
The team’s management team has also seen a change: Graeme Lowdon was replaced as team principal by Marcin Budkowski. During an appearance on the “Red Flags Podcast,” Steiner remarked that the first announcement he expects from the Cadillacs will be that the 2026 season is effectively over and the focus will shift to the 2027 vehicle. He added, “If they are last now, that’s fine, but they have no chance to be second‑last. Let’s stop trying anything for 2026 and focus entirely on 2027.”
Future Focus on 2027
Steiner further criticized the team’s 2026 expectations, suggesting that a group of non‑F1 people believed the project would be easier than it actually is. “We know better,” he said, “and nobody told us how hard it would be.” With the 2026 project now pushed to the side, Cadillac’s strategy will hinge on the next car in 2027 rather than salvaging a current season that has failed to deliver points.
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