Cadillac reveals a cowboy-themed livery for its first home Formula 1 race at Austin this weekend, aligning the brand with Texas culture while keeping performance focus unchanged.

Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez will run the MAC-26 in the special colors, blending southwestern motifs with the team’s usual palette to create a distinctive grid presence.

The initiative targets local engagement at the Circuit of the Americas and reinforces Cadillac’s US market ambitions, without altering specifications, procedures, or upgrade priorities for the weekend.

American driver Colton Herta takes the wheel in FP1, replacing Perez for the session to log mileage and familiarise himself with current-generation F1 systems on home soil.

The rookie outing adds data for correlation work, particularly on tyres and power unit deployment, while giving Cadillac another reference point alongside Bottas’s baseline programme.

Perez resumes duties from FP2, ensuring race-relevant setup work continues uninterrupted as the team balances long-run preparation with qualifying execution.

Operationally, Cadillac needs a clean weekend after recent brake issues limited learning earlier in the campaign, sharpening the focus on reliability and repeatable performance windows.

The livery itself fits a wider trend of one-off liveries tailored to venue and market, offering promotional value without compromising technical preparation.

Austin’s event also sits within an expanded 2026 calendar of 24 races, with multiple US rounds highlighting F1’s North American growth. See our 2026 US GP guide for context.

Cadillac’s wider programme continues to evolve across disciplines, as shown by its 2027 WEC signings, underlining the brand’s multi-series commitment and resource depth.

Bottas offers dependable feedback on setup direction, while Perez’s race craft remains an asset once he returns after FP1. Herta’s run supplies data and a benchmark for potential future opportunities.

Expect the competitive picture to hinge on execution rather than aesthetics, with strategy, tyre management, and error avoidance likely to define Cadillac’s ceiling at its home round.

The cowboy-themed MAC-26 adds theatre to the grid and connects with Austin’s identity, while Cadillac focuses on converting a busy weekend into clear, actionable performance gains.

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Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.