Formula 1 is getting its first new team in a decade, and Cadillac just gave us a sneak peek at what their car will look like when it hits the track. The American manufacturer unveiled a temporary livery at General Motors headquarters in Detroit that will be used during closed-door testing in Barcelona later this month. It is a sleek monochrome design done in black and silver, but there is more to this story than just pretty colors.
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Why is this not going to be the final livery?
Cadillac is playing it smart here. This testing livery is specifically designed to hide what the car actually looks like underneath. Teams do this all the time during testing because they do not want their rivals stealing design ideas before the season even starts. The 2026 regulations are completely new, with massive changes to both the power units and the aerodynamic rules. Everyone is trying to find advantages wherever they can, which means keeping your secrets under wraps becomes really important.
GM President Mark Reuss explained that the testing livery celebrates Detroit’s design heritage while keeping their design secrets hidden. The monochrome scheme uses a mix of gloss and matte finishes with geometric patterns that basically work like camouflage. It makes it harder for photographers and other teams to figure out the exact shapes and angles of the bodywork when the car is running around the track.
Something to celebrate all the team members
One cool detail about this testing livery is that Cadillac printed the names of all their founding team members across the car, particularly on the nose. These are the people from both the United States and the United Kingdom who have been working to get this team ready for Formula 1. It is a small gesture but it shows that Cadillac is taking this project seriously and wants to acknowledge everyone who has put in the work to make it happen.
The car with this special livery will be on display at the Detroit Auto Show until January 25, giving fans a chance to see it up close before it heads to Europe for testing. So, in case you are in the area, you should definitely check it out.
When can we expect the real livery launch?
If you are waiting to see what Cadillac will actually look like during the 2026 season, you will need to tune in to the Super Bowl on February 8. The team is planning to debut their official race livery during a halftime commercial, which is a pretty bold marketing move. Dan Towriss, the CEO of Cadillac Formula 1, said they are challenging convention by revealing their livery during a globally televised championship broadcast. It brings the team to a massive audience that might not normally watch Formula 1.
This approach makes sense when you think about it. The Super Bowl gets over 100 million viewers in the United States alone, and Cadillac wants to make a splash with American audiences. Formula 1 has been growing in popularity in the US over the past few years, and having an American team with a recognized American brand could help push that even further.
Anyone else hiding their development?
As it turns out, Cadillac is not the only team planning to run a camouflage livery in Barcelona. Williams has already revealed that they will use a special design voted on by fans for all three pre-season tests. There has apparently been a request sent to all teams asking them to run blank or camouflage liveries if their official 2026 cars have not been launched yet by the time Barcelona testing begins.
Red Bull, Racing Bulls, Haas, Ferrari, Mercedes, and Alpine are all scheduled to hold their official launches before January 26, so they can show up in their real colors. That leaves Cadillac, Aston Martin, Williams, and McLaren as the teams expected to roll out with temporary liveries, though any team can choose to do so if they want extra secrecy.
The Barcelona shakedown runs from January 26 to 30 at the Circuit de Catalunya. This is a closed-door event, which means no fans and limited media access. Teams are restricted in how much they can run the cars, with limits on fuel loads, tire usage, and total mileage. It is not really about setting fast lap times or making performance comparisons. Instead, teams use this opportunity to make sure all the basic systems are working properly before the real pre-season testing begins.
