Cadillac Brings Western Style to Formula 1 With Special Austin Livery
The Cadillac Formula 1 Team is dressing for Texas with a one-off livery inspired by Western wear for the 2026 United States Grand Prix. Drawing from embroidered cowboy shirts, denim stitching and decorative saddlery, the design brings the craftsmanship of the American West onto a modern Formula 1 car.
The tribute extends to matching race suits for Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez, creating a coordinated look for the team’s appearance at Circuit of The Americas.
The livery’s defining feature is artwork designed to look stitched directly onto the bodywork. Chain-stitch effects reference blue jeans and vintage Western shirts, while ornamental scrollwork draws inspiration from fine saddlery.
Developing that appearance required designers to render individual stitches digitally, giving the graphics the texture and detail associated with embroidery.
The team approached the theme with a clean color palette and carefully placed artwork, aiming for a look that reflected Texas culture while retaining Cadillac’s design identity. The result treats the car’s bodywork as a canvas for craftsmanship, with details intended to reward a closer look.
The livery includes several elements connecting the design to its destination. Embroidery-style depictions of the Austin skyline and the Circuit of The Americas layout bring the host city and track into the artwork.
Cactus motifs add another Texas reference, while 50 stars represent the United States. A horseshoe with its heels pointing upward introduces a traditional symbol of good luck.
These smaller graphics give fans more to discover beyond the overall Western theme, connecting the car’s decorative treatment to specific places and symbols.
The project brought together GM Design in Michigan and the Cadillac Formula 1 Team’s technical operation in the United Kingdom. Vincent Traina, a Dallas native and design manager at GM’s Performance, Motorsports and Accessories studio, helped bring a personal understanding of Texas style to the concept.
Senior design visualization CG artist Jamie Thresher worked on translating that direction into detailed digital artwork. The designers collaborated within designated areas of the car, shaping the graphics around bodywork developed for aerodynamic performance.
That balance between ornament and precision became central to the project: intricate imagery needed to complement the car’s contours and read clearly across its complex surfaces.
Bottas and Pérez will also have custom driver suits that echo the livery’s Western wear theme. Extending the concept into the drivers’ gear gives Cadillac a complete race-weekend presentation, carrying the same creative direction from the car to the cockpit.
Austin marks Cadillac’s third special livery of the season, following designs for Miami and the British Grand Prix. Each has explored a different expression of American identity, with this edition focusing on the character and craftsmanship of the American West.
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