Cadillac F1 boss wades in on pre-season row: ‘We have a fully legal engine’

Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon is satisfied that his new F1 team have a “fully legal engine” via partners Ferrari amid the row brewing ahead of the 2026 season.

In one of the sport’s biggest-ever regulation changes, new engine and chassis regulations are being introduced this season and threaten to shake up the sport’s pecking order. However, a divide between the five engine manufacturers has already emerged, just four days before all 11 teams are due at the first pre-season test in Barcelona.

Ferrari, Audi and Honda have complained to the FIA (F1’s governing body) about Mercedes and Ferrari potentially finding a “loophole” in the new set of regulations. The matter in question concerns the compression ratio of the internal combustion engine, specifically the ratio between the cylinder’s maximum and minimum volume. The rules mandate a 16:1 ratio, measured at “ambient temperature” while the car is stationary, but Mercedes and Red Bull are believed to be exploiting thermal expansion, which would lead the compression ratio to be closer to the old 18:1 regulation while running on track.

Speculation is rife that such an advantage could help teams by up to 0.3 seconds per lap and, as such, the other three engine manufacturers have written to the FIA insisting a ratio higher than the 16:1 figure mandated would be against the rules. A meeting between the manufacturers is set to take place on Thursday.

Last week, Red Bull’s engine boss said he “couldn’t understand” why a row had broken out, yet Cadillac team boss Lowdon, in charge of F1’s first new team since 2016, has thrown his support behind the Ferrari power unit his team will use this year.

"What I'm very confident and happy about is we have a fully legal engine,” he told Sky Sports News. "With these engines, the combustion is not allowed to take place at a compression ratio above 16 to 1.

"Without going into too many details, we know that Ferrari have completely followed the rules where that stands. That gives us a lot of confidence.

"In terms of performance, we work and support our power unit partner to the absolute maximum. We're very happy with the relationship. I can't really talk for other people's power units or how they've interpreted the regulation. But to me, it's extremely clear it's there in black and white."

Cadillac, run by parent company General Motors, will manufacture their own engines from 2029 and will use Ferrari power units in the meantime.

"I've worked with Ferrari a number of times before," Lowdon added. "They're great partners. It's an iconic name in Formula 1 as well. All of the people in that team are real racers as well, and we welcome them into the Cadillac Formula 1 team as well.

"They don't just provide us with a power unit, they provide us with some technical support in terms of people who join the team. It's great to have them on board."

Cadillac ran their debut car last week at a filming day in Silverstone, ahead of next week’s private testing week in Barcelona. The 2026 season starts in Australia on 8 March.