Cadillac F1, Ford earn R-E-S-P-E-C-T ahead of Australia debut

Posted by Talbot Payne on March 4, 2026

The Cadillac F1 car on track during Bahrain test days ahead of the Melbourne GP.

The Cadillac F1 car on track during Bahrain test days ahead of the Melbourne GP.

GM, GM

As Detroit’s Cadillac and Ford brands prepare for their debut at Formula One’s Melbourne Grand Prix in Australia this weekend, their theme song might be Aretha Franklin’s “Respect.”

The Motown operations have gained a lot of R-E-S-P-E-C-T after a chaotic year of preparation and two closely watched preseason test sessions in Barcelona and Bahrain. It’s Cadillac’s maiden voyage into the globe’s premier motorsports series, while Ford’s partnership with the Oracle Red Bull team is Ford Racing’s first F1 powertrain partnership since 2004.

Expected to be a backmarker out of the gate, Cadillac nonetheless has won praise for methodically piecing together a world-class effort just one year after its approval by F1 Management as the 11th team on the grid. Ford, on the other hand, has brought its manufacturing know-how to help Red Bull and its elite Dutch driver, Max Verstappen, fight for a championship. Not to be overlooked, the third U.S.-vested team, North Carolina-based Haas, (with its partner Toyota, the best-selling auto brand in the United States), looks to be a podium points-contender this year.

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