Racing
© Jonathan Borba
Cadillac will swap its usual black-and-white Formula 1 livery for a one-off red, white and blue stars-and-stripes design at the British Grand Prix as the team marks the 250th anniversary of American independence on a weekend that places July 4 at the center of the Silverstone schedule.
The special scheme will run on both MAC-26 cars driven by Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas. Silverstone’s 2026 event runs from July 2-5, with both sprint qualifying activities and the sprint race day falling on July 4, the date Americans commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
Cadillac has carried the theme across the whole team presentation rather than limiting it to the bodywork. Stars-and-stripes elements will appear on the front wing and engine cover, while the same look will also be used in the garage, on the drivers’ helmets and across team kit.
Dan Towriss, CEO of Cadillac Formula 1 Team Holdings, said the weekend is meant to do more than deliver a visual statement. “The 4th of July weekend is a moment for us to show our continued pride in representing the United States on the global stage of F1. We want to use it as an opportunity to allow new communities to discover the sport and share our passion.”
The livery launch also arrives with pressure on the sporting side. Cadillac comes to Silverstone trying to recover from a difficult Austrian Grand Prix, where both cars retired with brake problems despite the team believing the upgrades introduced at Spielberg had shown encouraging signs.
Graeme Lowdon, Cadillac team principal, said the focus now is to turn that potential into a complete weekend. “The Austrian Grand Prix was a challenge for us – but there is not one team in the pit lane that has not had similar days,” he said. Lowdon added that Cadillac’s objective at Silverstone is “to ensure that we have a clean weekend to maximise the performance potential we see.”
That leaves Silverstone as a significant test for Cadillac on two fronts: a high-profile showcase of its identity on Formula 1’s biggest stage, and a chance to prove that the promise shown in Austria can survive long enough to deliver a result.