Cadillac's Redesigned F1 Livery for Austin's United States Grand Prix

From the illusion of embroidery to the invocation of Western Americana symbols, Cadillac Formula 1’s new livery design for the United States Grand Prix incorporates the Texas Wildflower, the Austin skyline, 50 stars across the front wing panels, and even the shape of the circuit itself. The most intricate, artistic expression to date, introduced in celebration of Cadillac’s second home race of the year, the vehicle is the third of four such one-off liveries for its inaugural championship season, during which time the automaker has become the 11th constructor on the grid and the first new American team in more than a decade.

The Cadillac design teams wove together a swathe of visual references on the livery’s surface. “What we tried to do is make a narrative that has a backbone, especially when it comes to Texas culture,” Vincent Traina, Cadillac design manager and livery lead, shares with Surface. “This is one of the first projects in my new position here in motorsports and I really wanted the team to bring in a storyline that fell in line with what we wanted to portray about Cadillac’s materials, depth of detail, and how we really have a thought process behind everything.”

Traina, a longtime Texas resident, says the livery’s narrative enhancements offer only a glimpse into the story threads they’d considered, all of which arose from inspired storyboarding sessions and an understanding that Texas Formula 1 history runs deep, with Austin now in its 14th year, and one Dallas Grand Prix held back in 1984. For Traina, the contrasting-stitching effect, drive numbers emulating patchwork, and patterned details all nod to Western tailoring and the handcrafted character of early Americana.

Cassidy Towriss, Cadillac Formula 1’s Chief Brand Officer, calls to attention the power of designing under the motorsport’s guidelines (restrictions in terms of finishes, shapes, and forms) and timelines. “You are working around the operational and technical restraints that come with the realistic task of re-liverying a car on back-to-back race weekends,” she says. “Our approach at Cadillac Formula One is we design for the stars, and then we tailor it back to what we have to do.” Following Austin, Cadillac heads to Mexico in its original livery.

Towriss is responsible for the vehicle’s sleek monochromatic design. This color blocking reflects Cadillac’s consideration of an object in motion. “It’s cool, and it’s distinctive, and it’s a bit edgy, and it’s modern,” Dominic Najafi, Executive Director of Design for Cadillac, tells us. The goal of the Austin livery is to build atop this established identity. “It’s still recognizable as the Cadillac F1 identity, but then you see the second layer,” he adds. “You can then see how this special livery is telling a unique story to Texas, and about how we’ve taken the design to an even more exquisite level.”

Beyond technical and operational constraints, designing for brand awareness, and taking into consideration the livery in motion, Cadillac also had to consider viewing perspectives, from broadcast audiences to trackside spectators. “From a distance, I think we have a very strong presence right now, with what the team is building, and we wanted to make sure that from a distance, we kept those proportions very similar. To me, when I see this from a distance, all the details, it almost looks like a very intricate carbon textural pattern, which fits with Formula One,” Traina adds. From up close, it looks as if all of the patterns and symbols have, in fact, been embroidered.

In addition to the livery, the Texan design—its paisley scroll and chain stitching—adorns race suits and even the entire interior of the garage. “There were a few different iterations that were done,” Towriss says. “I know the drivers have seen them and are very excited; they may have a special helmet or two that were also inspired by this design.” She adds that this design, like Cadillac Formula 1, is for everyone.

“You shouldn’t need to meet certain criteria to be a fan of Formula One. If you are pulled in or take interest because of a livery or for the lifestyle and cultural moments, that’s okay,” she explains. “It’s okay to dive deep into the technical aspects of it, too. Everyone has an invite to find a place here.”

Towriss sees Formula 1, in this “Netflix Drive to Survive era,” akin to the World Cup or Olympics. “Everyone wants to back their team,” she says, of the global scale. “We aim to provide a home for that American fan, but also for a global audience to be that American-rooted and inspired team, especially when you have a powerhouse like General Motors backing you through this whole thing. I think being a brand-new team and considering the timeline in which we entered, we have this wonderful underdog story, as well.”

Najafi observes something distinctly American in the design challenge behind this livery. “I like the opportunities of these regional stories—like the brand of Texas, the brand of Miami, the brand of Detroit. You can go deeper into these stories and beyond the brand of America.” Here, Cadillac tapped into the visual power of Texas, but also managed to articulate a story of speed, refinement, and character.