Cadillac boss Graeme Lowdon said he was pleased Ferrari was providing his team with a “completely legal engine” amid growing controversy over a new powerplant for the 2026 Formula 1 season.
A new powerplant is being introduced for the new season, along with a new chassis that many believe is the most radical regulatory change in the sport’s history.
Ahead of the season, starting with the Australian Grand Prix on March 8, controversy is brewing due to different approaches taken by engine manufacturers regarding compression ratio limits according to regulations.
Mercedes, which supplies four of the 11 teams on the grid, and Red Bull, which builds engines for itself and its junior team, the Racing Bulls, are understood to have found ways to ensure their powerplants are compliant when tested at rest, but reach higher ratios when running but not subject to inspection.
New entrant Cadillac joined Haas with Ferrari supplying its engines. Ferrari has reportedly not joined Audi and Honda in building technology that would allow for higher compression ratios when the cars run on the track.
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With Cadillac set to become the 11th team on the grid, look to relive the last time new team Haas competed in Formula One at the 2016 Australian Grand Prix.
Asked if there were any concerns about a performance shortfall as a result of the situation, Lowdon said: Sky Sports News: “What I am very confident and excited about is that we have a complete legal engine in place.
“In these engines, combustion is not permitted when compression ratios exceed 16:1.
“Without going into too many details, we know that Ferrari has fully followed the current rules, which gives us a lot of confidence.
“In terms of performance, we leverage and support our power unit partners to the fullest. We are very satisfied with the relationship.
“I can’t really speak to other people’s power devices or how they interpreted the regulations, but to me it’s very clear that it exists in black and white.”
Red Bull Chief: Making a lot of noise about nothing.
Red Bull engine chief Ben Hodgkinson has already dismissed suggestions that his team’s power unit may have broken the rules, describing the dispute as “just noise”.
As Red Bull launched its 2026 car in Detroit last week, Hodgkinson said: “There seems to be a bit of tension among the various powertrain manufacturers about what clever engineering may be going on in some teams.
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Craig Slater tells you everything you need to know about Red Bull and the Racing Bulls’ launch in Detroit, home of new engine partner Ford.
“To be honest, I’m not sure how much I should listen to. I’ve been doing this for a long time and it’s almost just noise.
“You really have to run your own race. I know what we’re doing. I’m confident that what we’re doing is legal.
“Of course, we took action to the extent permitted by the regulations. I would be surprised if everyone didn’t do the same. My honest opinion is that it’s a lot of noise about nothing.”
‘Ferrari is a great partner’
A key factor in giving Cadillac the green light to enter F1 was parent company General Motors’ agreement to manufacture its own engines, but with them not expected to be ready until 2029, the team would have to procure the powerplant by then.
A deal was quickly signed with Ferrari in December 2024 and Lowdon said he was generally very happy with the deal.
“I have worked with Ferrari several times before,” he said. “They are a great partner. They are an iconic name in Formula 1. Everyone on the team is also a real racer and we welcome them to the Cadillac Formula 1 team.
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Rachel Brookes looks at how Cadillac will become the 11th team on the Formula 1 grid in 2026.
“They not only provide us with power units, but they also provide technical support in terms of people joining the team. We’re really excited to have them on board.”
Cadillac became the first team to run the 2026 Ferrari powerplant during a closed-door shakedown at Silverstone last week, and the Italian team will follow suit themselves later this week ahead of the first of three pre-season testing events in Barcelona from January 26-30.
“I think we caught the fire the first time. We caught it last year and are rocking it now. Every time you do anything with a Formula 1 car, you learn,” Lowdon added.
“So I’m really excited to have reached another milestone on our journey towards the start of the season.”
When does F1 pre-season testing take place?
The introduction of the new regulations means there will be a robust schedule for three individual test events before the start of the 2026 season.
The first will be a closed-door event in Barcelona on January 26-30, followed by two tests in Bahrain on February 11-13 and 18-20.
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Formula 1 outlines new 2026 rule changes, including what will replace DRS, in plans to allow closer racing next year. Video courtesy of F1.
When is your first F1 race?
The team will then have two weeks to prepare for the season-opening round, the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne from March 6-8.
The first practice session of the season will be held on Friday 6 March, with qualifying taking place on Saturday 7 March and the opening race on Sunday 8 March.
Watch all 24 race weekends of the 2026 Formula 1 season live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports NOW – No Commitment, Cancel Anytime
