P1 with Matt and Tommy - Our reaction to the Cadillac F1 car launch

Episode Date: February 9, 2026

Sure, they were forced to release it an hour earlier than planned, but we have the official livery of F1’s brand new team! And it’s, wait… a 1999 BAR tribute? An updated version of Brad Pitt’s team from the F1 movie? A grey cloud? Confusing questions for us to answer…Sign up to our Patreon! You'll get access to every P1 episode ad-free, extended versions of every 2026 race review, early access to tickets & merch, and access to our Discord server where you can chat with us and other F1 fans! Click here to sign up now: http://patreon.com/mattp1tommyFollow us on socials! You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and TikTok. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello everybody and welcome back to the P1 podcast with Matt and Tommy. Cadillac 11th team Reveal. That's right. We're back for another car launch. It is 324 in the morning. And we have seen the Cadillac, which has been revolved. That's not a word. Revealed.

Reveal. During a Super Bowl ad that we did not see. because first and foremost, it came out about 45 minutes earlier than it was planned to. They put the Cadillac in a box and they were like... In Times Square. Yep. So we knew when it was going to be released and yet that's not synced up with their Super Bowl ad because the Super Bowl apparently has gone quicker than expected.

And so lo and behold, as if with almost every F1 team, myself and Tommy get ready for a car launch at a certain time and then a video just drops. Oh, hit welcome to the team. Yeah, I did wonder. I did wonder like when they announced it's going to be during an advert. I was like, surely that just plays, they're not going to be able to get the exact time. But then for them to then do like social media messaging going all systems go, 10.30 and times square out, I was like, well, okay, now we've got a specific time.

So even if it's going to be at least around then, but for it to be like nearly an hour before is crazy. Okay, let's get into our first thoughts on the livery, or should we say two halves of a livery? Oh, that's right, Cadillac. We see you with the, I mean, different. The 1999 BAR. Yeah, they really took the BAR and went, let's make it slightly,

less fun. Let's make, let's do a BAR livery and have two very bland colours. Without the colour. Overall, look, I am, you might have seen our social media clip reacting to it. I was quite excited by the fact that they've gone for a little half and half livery, which didn't need to do that. Not sure what the reasoning behind them doing it was, but, um, yeah, but on closer inspection and also with Tommy having shown me a concept livery that involved yellow for Cadillac, which is what they do in Weck. They could have gone a lot more,

a lot more beautiful with the colouring, which I'm in complete agreement of. I don't think it's a bad livery. I don't think it looks clean, right? It's a clean. I like clean. I don't like blocks, which they haven't really gone for.

So in that sense, yeah, it's a, can I call it good? I don't know what I want. It's professional. It's a professional livery. However, I am dearly concerned about what this car will actually look like, considering these are renders, these are renders, what it actually will look like in an overcast day at Silverstone.

Will it just look like a cloud? Yeah, because especially because from the video that they launched, it looks almost like silver, which my initial thought was, why have they released a Mercedes? Like when I saw the delivery, where it looks like silver and it's got the Tommy Hill figure on the front and it's black and silver.

I was like, oh, they've launched a Mercedes and then it turns around and it's like, oh, it's the black Mercedes on the other side. So a nice double tribute to Mercedes, but my initial thought was like, come on now, you've got Audi that are silver and black, you've got Mercedes that are silver and black, and your chance as a new team to deliver something really interesting.

You think about all the classic liveries and of the kind of years gone by and how everyone lost their mind over like McLaren doing the Gulf livery and how bright and colorful it was and how everyone loved it. And you're like, let's make it black and white or black and silver. Like, come on, guys. Like, surely a little bit of color would have been nice. And I don't know why they didn't do that because it's, such a good way to like introduce yourself as a new team and be like, look, we're fun.

But instead it looks really kind of, kind of very Formula One corporate kind of weird. Particularly as, as you mentioned, like, there's always that thing in the back of my mind that like, oh, wouldn't it be cool if they went yellow because they're yellow in the whack. Their title sponsor is yellow as well. I think right now, as we're talking about it, it will be up on screen. So if you're watching on YouTube, the concept that Tommy has shown me, they would have just taken over the scene with that car. I'm wondering if it's big brain thinking from Cadillac that if they make it look like a Mercedes, people will, because obviously we are expecting them to be the slowest car and they may well be the slowest car by quite some margin, when they're being lapped, people might mistake them for the Mercedes, give them a bit more attention. I'll know that's the Cadillac.

But then by that point, everyone's absorbed all the sponsors on it. Yeah, true. Actually, you know what it reminds of even more as well? Is it like it's not too, particularly the, from just like my memory of it off the top of my head. I know it's not got the gold on it, but it does look sort of like very F1 movie kind of vibes as well. Yeah. This is, this is ApexGP. This is Apex GP.

It is. It looks like, I'm just like, oh, come on, like a little. bit of colour would have gone a long way, I think. And it is weird, yeah, because like I say, the title sponsor that they've got, it's quite a bright and bold colour scheme, which you think they'd go with, but maybe it was a last minute thing. Yeah. Either or all, let's get into some questions. P1 on Patreon member Piper MZ MimicX. Is this the look and colours they've settled on, or do you think we'll see their livery change a lot in the next few years? I hope it changes. like I say this title sponsor they've got

TWG they sponsor a formulary team they sponsor an IndyCar team and if you look at their liveries they're very very bright some might say garish they're bright it's like electric Valentina Rossi Lando Norris yellow basically so

I can only assume that they've already got the concept in place and this sponsor has come on board quite late. But you think normally a title sponsor kind of like takes over the whole livery, you know, like a BWT and adds a bit of color to it. And particularly the fact that they've got a black and white canvas already, maybe it's within mind that they can have a bit more fun in the future. So I hope they do bring something a little bit different next time.

Because you're right, it does look clean. I think the most disappointing thing is there are too many cars that look like this on the grid already, so you like want something a little bit different. Yeah, they saw the, you have to paint it 55%, and they went, okay, all right, we'll paint it black, all right, that's perfect. Just on one half. Yeah, it's, maybe they misread the rules. They thought, oh, we have to paint one side, 55%, the other side 45%.

But yes, it's something that, of course, I would love to see as well. We're talking about, oh, maybe they'll change in the future. Why not now, though? This is their grand entrance to the sport. This is the time where we're most interested as to what they're going to. Eyeballs on. They've done a blooming Super Bowl ad. I know.

Imagine spending all that money, putting a car in a box in Times Square. And the first reaction is, that looks like a Mercedes. Great advertising there for your car brand. Why a Mercedes-Lor? Haven't they already launched their car? That's crazy.

Next question. People on Patreon, Longo, 1996. Did Cadillac not understand the concept of time when determining when to release the commercial? Now, this one, obviously they've wanted to go big.

We all know just how expensive Super Bowl commercials are. So they've put a huge amount of money into announcing their car. And they've told the world what time this is going to happen. They've put a car in a box and said, see you. Or is it 10.30? 10.30 Eastern time. Which was, yeah, which is now. I think already seen the car half an hour ago.

And then the Super Bowl players went, you know what, let's have less stoppages. We're so good at Super Bowling. Well, quick. I imagine they probably factored into a five, ten minute difference. Wouldn't matter that much. But it's quite a significantly earlier time than when the box was opening with the car in it. I mean, I need to go check to see if maybe they've released an alternative livery in this box and we've missed it all. But yeah, I think they may be now learning that, yes, they've tried.

to get loads of eyeballs on it, but it's not been as easy to sink it all up. But we're used to it as F1 teams, F1 car launches. They love just popping renders out before they've even shown the car in a two-hour-long video. Like Mercedes, for example, we've been speaking about them. We've already seen your car, guys.

Why are we doing a team reveal at Silverstone after we've seen your car already? Yeah, exactly. Look, they probably, like now it's been done. they probably don't care that much, like as much as it is annoying. Like, they still got their Super Bowl ad. They still drop the pictures. It's annoying from our side when we're trying to do a watch-along and stuff.

But, you know, selfishly, I'm sure Cadillac are not really thinking about Matt P.1 Tommy's watch-along. How dare they? No. And, you know, they need to get their act together. Like, come on. Think about our watch-along and add a bit of yellow paint. Come on, guys. Next year's our year.

We can do this. hours and Cadillax year. They've launched another picture of Formula One have now posted like a front view and yeah the front view is not really

to say that the front view is going to be the one that gets seen the most it does look a bit basic and boring now like because you don't really see the asymmetric from the front because it's not like it's not like a BAR like you say like zip straight down the middle you know

it just looks a bit, a bit dull. Okay, all right. The longer this podcast goes on, the more Tommy dislikes the livery. We're downgrading the livery as we go. Question from Henry Banks 95. Why did Cadillac not get American drivers? Because there weren't any American drivers ready.

And I would like to think that, yes, of course, they would love to get an American driver in. Of course, this is like the kind of Andretti adventure. We've got to remember, which is weird to think about now because that's kind of forgotten about. But they were really pushing for like Colton Herta, weren't they at the time? And of course, they've kind of taken him there as a reserve driver. They've put him in Formula 2 to try and kind of get him ready. But I do respect that, you know, it's clear what they're going for here with two very experienced drivers in Peres and Bottas to bring as much experience from the team as

possible. And maybe it's a lesson that from, from like what happened at Williams with Logan Sargent, like I know, I know it's like one example, but like I feel like Williams like rushed Logan Sargent in so much to try and be that team to get an American driver in. His super license was barely ready and obviously look how bad it went.

And I think it's kind of like a when, when a driver is ready, like from the US and is you know going to be strong enough like if there's good there is there will be no doubt a really you know huge talented American driver at some point and when that happens teams will be like fighting to get that that driver in and mainly because of their talent as well so it can't just be a case of just like they're American put them in and and they've they've done the right thing in doing so and I'm sure you know there's plenty of American drivers like coming up through the ranks in F2 and F3 that might be the next big thing. Yeah you're absolutely right there's not

a roster that are F1 ready and you know can just be picked and chosen apart from you know I can't believe you've missed out Scott Speed you know he is waiting in the wings and it's just an F1 return we didn't we in America? What a comeback. What a guy and what a name as well like absolutely perfect but yeah there's just not not the not the drivers ready at the moment um but you know what you know what it's crazy scott speed like you've obviously like bantered there about scott speed no banter at no no no and i was like that that that that's funny because obviously like it's so so completely far-fetched he is younger than fernando alonzo is he actually flipping hell okay that puts it the scott speed dream is is back is back we're so back come on scott we're so back um

But also as well, you know, they could obviously go down the route of slightly less experienced drivers, but that's not the way in which we've sort of spoken about it before, where Cadillac are trying to just extract all the knowledge they possibly can out of two very experienced drivers in Bottas and Perez. And I think that's the right route to go to sort of steady the ship before it's even left the dock, because that it's going to be a tough, tough ride for Cadillac. I think that's what we all expect when we get to Australia. So going down that route of American drivers, rookies, things like that, I just think would have been the wrong decision to go

because it may well have made them look a laughing stock before they've even begun. So I think it's the right decision for Cadillac to do that, to try and build a Formula One team with the knowledge of previous Red Bull and Mercedes drivers. Next question, Nekli Udov. How long will Checo and Bottas stay at the team? It's a good question. It feels as though, as we've just been saying about a really good potential driver in the wings, maybe they'll be American.

When that happens and Cadillac has them on their radar, I feel like it will eventually turn into an experienced driver and a rookie or a new talent because that's usually what you see. But, look, Cadillac are in a building phase. maybe they'll have two, three years with Botas and Perez, maybe we'll see. And from there,

if they've been able to make some improvements, they can then look to go to a more standard setup of a young and an old driver, then maybe even put two fresh time. They've got the F1 movie livery. Plan combat, they're smashing the desks, and then they take over and win everything. Exactly, yeah.

They've done the right thing as much as it's maybe as an interesting as their livery to go for Peres. Yeah, as much as it is to go for Periz and Bottas together. But at the end of the day, they will know that like when even if they are languishing at the back, you know, those two are experienced drivers that are going to get like a good amount from the car.

So you know that it's not a case of like the drivers of the problem, which is going to be the thinking behind it. But yeah, as soon as they, they find like a young talent particularly if they can find an american talent one of them will make way not everyone is going to be fernando alonzo and going to stay in for ages obviously like um you know perres and botas are on the older end of the the kind of grid but they're not also like really really old like Fernando loneso so they've got they've got time to uh in the bank if you like uh to to stay for another few years yeah they're both 36 years old so

Same as me. They could, well. Ancient. You could be on the grid, mate. I could literally be, yeah. No one wants to see that. My next question, Liam Morgan. Where do you think they'll place in the standings

and what will be a good first season? I think just anything from them is a good first season. Genuinely, like, the expectation is that they will be last. It's going to be incredibly difficult for them. So I genuinely, it sounds silly to say, but a good first season is for them to just not be embarrassed. For them to be able to hold their own beat occasional cars. I think that their literally best case scenario is that they are like there is no backmark a team and they're in a midfield scrap with all the other midfield teams, kind of like what we've seen in years gone by.

Like kind of, I know we joke about Alpine and they were an occasional race. but like in kind of recent years there's not been that one like completely hopeless team that are like miles behind everyone else um so they're kind of like hoping that that that's the case again um and then not just like completely last by a mile and not scoring a single point um that i don't think they they will expect too much more than that but you know it is that they've done the right thing in not building their own engine from the start and all that kind of stuff which is going to make things a lot time I mean, you're speaking about engines, Tommy. You know, there's all plenty of rumors flying around about the current state of that lovely little compression ratio and maybe Ferrari or maybe we're so back and maybe kind of like, or we have no idea and it's all BS. It's all hearsay. Tommy, if I hear or see any rumors that are anywhere near pointing towards the fact Ferrari

might well have an advantage or back to being all square with the lights of Mercedes, I will share it with you and I will bask in the glory of potentially winning it all. and of course Cadillac they can have a few points as well but where do I think they'll place honestly if they beat an established Formula 1 team in the Constructor standings

that is a great first season and to beat anyone over the course of a year whether it's by one point or 10 points or however it ends up in the constructors genuinely that would be a good season from there I remember this when your prediction is big flop

and a yeah but I also flopped they would be a very far away. Yeah, yeah. It has to be like a far away bad, doesn't it? Yeah, well, we'll see. You know, let's not, you know, don't start already, you know, putting in the T's and Cs and the flipping small print as to what is determined as a big flop.

But yeah, like, you, they're a new team coming into the sport. Of course, the expectation is low. I obviously predicted that they would be a pretty slow and that's why I flopped them. But anything other than that, and it can be considered all right or even better than that. So I hope for their sake it's not as bad as some people may think it will be. So there you go. That is the Cadillac car analysed. I've not seen any videos of the box opening.

I don't know if you have, Tommy. If you see it like that? No. I've seen Perez share some more pictures now and it very much looks white. It doesn't look chrome or silver like it did in the render. This is the problem with Brenda's right. You can get so baited. by what it is, but to me that looks half black, half white.

Yeah, I tell you. Until we see a real car on track, we don't know. Yeah. Wow. I mean, I'm seeing the overalls. They've got like five, four sponsors. Yeah, yeah. It's very, very basic, isn't it?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, but I mean, again, they look nice. But, yeah, Cadillac, maybe lacking a few sponsors. coming into this year. Yeah, I thought they'd maybe go a bit bigger with it. Obviously, they've got the Tommy Hill figure swag, which looks really cool, but no, like, oh well, they didn't have a big title sponsor until last minute, but even then, like, yeah, it doesn't really stand out, does it on the car? No, but we will wait to see what it looks like on track.

Cadillac, I'm still waiting for the video of the box opening, which is crazy to think you've spent all that money to put a box there, and we've not said. seen the video. The number looks really off centre as well. That's annoying me. Okay, all right. We need to shut down this podcast before Tommy just finds everything wrong with it. So thank you everybody. We'll see you very soon. Literally later is the Aston Martin McLaren and then Aston Martin launches. So lots of car launches coming. And fingers crossed, McLaren. Just release it when it comes out. You know, just do the car launch and then show us the car. That would be a great start. And lots of orange please, McLaren.

Lots of orange. So much. I need some colour after this. Tommy might well actually become a McLaren fan should you put enough colour on the car. What are your final thoughts? Buy some yellow paint, cuddley. Okay, alright, there you go. Thanks everybody.

See you soon. Bye. Goodbye. P1 is a stack production and part of the Acast's creator network.