Former F1 racer and Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson has revealed how he is playing a part in the initial stages of the Cadillac project.
Cadillac’s planned arrival into Formula 1 next season comes after over a year of back and forth between Liberty Media and a team that began life as an eponymous Andretti F1 entry.
Marcus Ericsson to provide feedback on Cadillac simulators
The arrival of US automotive giant General Motors (GM) through a Cadillac F1 team has been given the green light for F1 2026, with the former Andretti effort now working diligently towards entry next season.
One man who will be helping that effort is former Caterham and Sauber F1 driver Marcus Ericsson, with the 2022 Indy 500 winner revealing how he has been tasked with evaluating simulators for the F1 team on behalf of GM.
The Swedish driver, who races for Andretti Global in IndyCar, told Viaplay‘s F1 podcast that he has been given the unusual assignment.
“My employer, Andretti, has asked me to fly to England to test different simulators,” he said.
“I will provide feedback so they can choose the right model for the whole organisation, including Formula 1, IndyCar, and sports cars.”
Ericsson said the visits are likely to be made to manufacturers and teams in order to evaluate different simulator options, with his previous experience in F1 playing a huge part in the critical assessment needed to meet the requirements for the equipment infrastructure.
“Simulators have become an integral part of motorsport, and I’ve been working on improving my own use over the winter,” Ericsson said.
With Ericsson being out of F1 since the end of 2018, his involvement in the decision-making process can’t be interpreted as a possible beginning to an F1 comeback, he admitted, but the Swedish driver is nonetheless happy to be involved.
“It’s great that they want to use me and my experience to help,” he said.
F1 2026 regulations explained
???? Explained: The 2026 engine regulations set to seriously shake up Formula 1
???? F1 2026 tech analysed: The future of overtaking and biggest car advantage identified
Pat Symonds begins work for Cadillac
Aside from Ericsson having some hand in Cadillac’s formative stages, another name returning to the competitive fold is Pat Symonds.
Most recently the chief technical officer of Formula 1, it was announced back in May 2024 by the then-Andretti F1 project that Symonds had agreed to join, having departed his role with F1 that he held for seven years, in which time he played a major role in the 2022 regulatory reset.
Symonds took to LinkedIn to reveal that, on 1 January, he began work as a consultant to Cadillac F1.
Cadillac F1 has agreed on an initial engine deal with Ferrari – as new chassis and power unit rules arrive for F1 2026 – with the GM engine expected to be available for use from 2028.
“I am delighted to announce that today, January 1st, I officially take up my new role at Cadillac as we build our team to contest the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship,” Symonds wrote.
“It is an exciting challenge as, if the 2026 pre-season testing follows the pattern of 2014 (when we last had a new power unit), we have less than 400 days until the car runs.
“General Motors (GM) has a long motorsport tradition, and I remember as a young boy seeing the Chaparral 2F win the BOAC 500 at Brands Hatch. Jim Hall, the man behind Chaparral always acknowledged the contribution GM made to that programme.
“More recently through their Chevrolet and Cadillac brands, they have been competitive in sports car racing in addition to being a power unit supplier to IndyCar.
“From Le Mans to Talladega and sports cars to stock cars, they know how to win. At the same time, as the pinnacle of motorsports, they fully respect the innovation and excellence required in Formula 1 and what it will take to build the team to replicate the success they have enjoyed in other series.
“Our first Formula 1 car will use a Ferrari power unit and transmission pending the development of the all-new Cadillac power unit.
“Building a Formula 1 car is a daunting but well-documented task. The timelines and gateways are well established, and the team already has plenty of experienced personnel who have been designing and developing the car for some while.
“Alongside them, others have been putting into place the necessary processes to ensure we can adhere to the tight timelines and unwavering quality required of Formula 1.
“In parallel to this, we are building the infrastructure to support our challenge at our base in Silverstone.
“Starting with the proverbial ‘clean sheet of paper’ presents far more opportunities than it does challenges. The team will be built around not just the highest engineering standards but also the highest ESG standards as we work toward making it the best team to work for in Formula 1.”
Read Next: Long-serving McLaren mechanic starts ‘next chapter’ with Aston Martin