Cadillac F1 Eyes Talent Development in US But Won’t Compromise on Performance

Dan Towriss says Cadillac is looking at development of talent in United States of America with the F1 association, but without compromising what’s best for their team.

Coming in as a big American brand in F1, Cadillac with General Motors is looking at development of home grown talents in United States of America (USA). It is one aspect of the manufacturer’s foray into the pinnacle of motor racing, to show they can be the best of the world.

The team currently has one arm in America, while the UK base is in Silverstone. It is the main hub considering that the motorsport valley is based of Britain. Naturally, there is bulk recruitment undertaken at the Silverstone base, with key personnel based there. They replaced Graeme Lowdon with Marcin Budkowski as F1 team boss recently.

As they progress in the sport, they will start hiring US-centric personnel, not necessarily relocating people from other places to USA, but hiring homegrown talent and help them develop to F1-level. “Well, one, I’d say it’s too early to tell, but for us, it’s really a development over time,” said Towriss to media in an online session.

“It isn’t a point in time to say that it’s this percentage in the US and this percentage in the UK. Obviously, with the concentration of F1 talent in the UK, the bulk of our recruitment has been in the UK, and is moving into more US-centric phase going forward – not moving people – but continuing to grow the organisation in other locations, but also looking at the innovation capabilities, from other industries, Marcin (Budkowski) mentioned aerospace and others, again, further integration of the tool set available at GM (General Motors).”

Having set out the plan to redefine what it means to have a US team in F1, Towriss will not compromise with talent and right people. He will not take decision based on sovereign nation, but will undertake what is best for Cadillac, which will help it succeed in the sport in the years to come.

“We’ll be looking at all of those things, integrating those across all the locations,” continued Towriss. “But from our standpoint, it really gives us a chance to develop talent in the US, which will really redefine what it means to have a US team in Formula One, to look at those capabilities, to continue to recruit the best of Formula One, in the UK.

“And hopefully have the best of both worlds, and we’ll be making decisions that are performance-based, not…kind of not sovereign nation-based, as we look at what is best for Cadillac and what gives us the best competitive posture in the sport,” summed up Towriss.