Cadillac hasn't scored yet in their debut season in F1. But in terms of aesthetics for the next race? They might have earned a point or two.
Cadillac Formula 1 Team is introducing a new, Texas-themed livery for their home race in the 2026 United States Grand Prix in Austin. Led by General Motors Performance design manager Vincent Traina, the livery pays tribute to Texas and the American West.
Coincidentally, Traina is an avid F1 fan who grew up in Dallas. It makes the livery design much more authentic.
The new car design in Austin is Cadillac's third one-off livery of the season. They also delivered a Stars and Stripes-inspired design in the Miami Grand Prix, and put on the red-and-blue American colors on their special Fourth of July livery in the British Grand Prix.
The embroidery effect is a nice touch
One of the most interesting parts of the design is the attempt to make its patterns appear stitched into the bodywork. Traina and his team wanted the details to resemble embroidery, which isn't very easy to do on an F1 car's bodywork surface.
The MAC-26, Cadillac's current challenger, will look like it is dressed in Western wear. It will still carry the black-and-white base, but the embroidery effect is a nice, authentic touch.
The symbolisms
If you look closely at the car, Cadillac's Austin livery includes several important details. These symbols include the 50 stars for each state in the United States, Texas cacti, the Austin skyline, and the map of the Circuit of The Americas. You can also see a horseshoe with its heels pointing upward, which is a traditional good-luck symbol in Texas.
Is Cadillac bringing performance upgrades to Austin?
Of course, the most important thing for Cadillac this weekend is the car's performance and reliability. The team will reportedly bring a small performance upgrade package to Austin.
Cadillac will make improvements to the car's floor for better aerodynamic performance. Moreover, they will try to improve their cooling system, which has been a big reliability issue this season.
Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas are coming off a Singapore Grand Prix that saw both drivers take the checkered flag. That's a welcome sight for Cadillac, who already have a combined 12 DNFs this season.
Cadillac also announced that reserve driver Colton Herta will take the wheels of Perez's MAC-26 in Free Practice 1 in Austin. This will be Herta's fourth FP1 session of the season, as he continues to add more Super Licence points.