Cadillac F1 and Ford Racing compete at the Miami Grand Prix, marking the first of three U.S. events in 2026. The race comes amid turmoil in F1 as teams adapt to a new hybrid powertrain and following the cancellation of previous races due to geopolitical issues.
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Miami — Cadillac F1 and Ford Racing square off on American soil this weekend at the Miami Grand Prix, Formula One’s first of three U.S. events in 2026.
The historic clash of Detroit-backed teams comes as F1, the world’s premier open-wheel motorsport, struggles to transition to the new 50-50 hybrid powertrain that attracted investment from the Motown brands. Following chaotic opening races in Australia, China and Japan, the series faced an open revolt from drivers and fans over the new, electrified technology’s competitiveness and safety.
After the Iran war precipitated the cancellation of F1’s twin Mideast April events — the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix — the month off allowed the sport to regroup with technical changes as it heads to Miami and May. Host venue? The Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium, owned by another Michiganian giant, billionaire developer Stephen Ross.
Cadillac stars and stripes livery for 2026 Miami GP.
May is also the summit of the U.S. IndyCar calendar as North America’s premier open-wheel series (in which Cadillac’s sister Chevrolet brand has a huge investment) heads to Indianapolis for a month of testing and qualifying ahead of the “greatest spectacle in racing,” the Indy 500. With F1 and IndyCar racers on track in Miami and Indy this week, the United States is a battleground — not just for Cadillac v Ford — but also F1 v IndyCar.
“I'm a huge fan of combustion (engines) and the non-hybrid, non-electric vehicle stuff. I think race cars should be race cars,” said Santino Ferrucci, an IndyCar driver for the Chevrolet-powered AJ Foyt Racing team in an interview ahead of Indy test days on Friday and Saturday. “F1 is just an engineering series — IndyCar more of a driver series. We do have a hybrid system, but it's very, very simple. We don't lose 50 mph down a straight line.”
Ferrucci’s sentiment has been echoed by Formula One drivers frustrated by having to recharge their 350 kW electrical systems (compared to 55 kW in IndyCar) over the course of a lap. The awkward battery regeneration has introduced new terms to F1 like “super-clipping” and “energy harvesting.”
F1 drivers have compared the racing to chasing power-boost icons in video games like Mario Kart.
"I found a cheaper solution, I swapped the (racing) simulator for my Nintendo Switch," said Max Verstappen, star driver for the Ford-partnered Oracle Red Bull team.. "I'm practicing with Mario Kart, actually. Finding the mushrooms is going quite well, the blue shells is a bit more difficult.”
Cadillac F1 and Ford Racing are the two main teams competing at the Miami Grand Prix.
The Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix were canceled due to the geopolitical situation following the Iran war.
The new 50-50 hybrid powertrain is significant as it represents a major technological shift in F1, attracting investment from American brands like Cadillac and Ford.
The Miami Grand Prix is being held at the Hard Rock Stadium, which is owned by billionaire developer Stephen Ross.
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Under the headline “Why OEM involvement has caused vast problems for F1 and the FIA” (OEM is an acronym for Original Equipment Manufacturers, aka automakers), influentia, UK-based Autosport writer Stuart Codling wrote this week:
“To fulfill the 50/50 split, there are too many rules: for instance, the hidden division of tracks into ‘zones' where various proportions of electrical power can and cannot be applied.”
The high-tech, complex, electrified power units (F1-speak for drivetrains), however, are a big reason (another is F1’s massive 500 million-strong global audience) that manufacturers like Cadillac, Ford, Mercedes, Audi and Toyota are writing big checks to be in the sport.
They want access to F1’s cutting-edge engineering as they take their production brands electric.
“When we discussed the current regulations, the automotive companies who were very involved told us that they're never going to make another (new) internal combustion engine again," FIA single-seater technical director Nikolas Tombazis told media ahead of this week’s Grand Prix. "They were going to phase out and by whatever year they were going to be fully electrical.”
Unlike the North American market where IndyCar plays, F1 operates globally— including in highly-regulated markets like Europe and China where government are forcing EV adoption. Yet, as customers in international markets have shied from EVs, manufacturers (and governments) have pulled back from their electrification plans — including Cadillac, which has backed off ambitious EV targets.
“Obviously this (all-electric brands) hasn't happened,” continued Tombazis. “That's not to underestimate the importance of electrification globally, but it didn't happen as much as said."
The byzantine regulations governing the power units have led to widespread grumbling among driver, fans and even safety stewards. Closing speeds between cars — one accelerating, the other backing off to regenerate — have already led to a horrific, 190 mph crash by Toyota Gazoo Racing Haas F1 driver Oliver Bearman at the Japanese GP.
Oracle Red Bull has struggled out of the gate in 2026. Isack Hadjar of France driving the (6) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB22 Red Bull Ford and Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (3) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB22 Red Bull Ford battle for track position during the F1 Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka Circuit on March 29, 2026 in Suzuka, Japan. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
“A more pressing reason (for concern) is safety, and the mitigation of the risks of cars running out of deployment suddenly at high speed,” wrote Autosport’s Codling.
The outcry has led to adjustment in power unit regulations ahead of Miami with a goal of giving more control back to drivers.
Still, the changes will not fundamentally change the overall product because F1 believes that the yo-yo effect of energy-harvesting has — like Mario Kart — made the racing more entertaining with more passes.
“It's an evolution, it's not a revolution,” said Tombazis. “We fundamentally believe we've got a good package and it's normal to make adjustments as it happens.”
The entertainment will take place in Ross’s very American venue, Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL’s Dolphins. The Grand Prix will be held not inside the stadium where the team plays but in the sprawling parking lot that surrounds it.
Unlike the Indy 500, where drivers perform in front of 350,000 fans on the Sunday before Memorial Day with ticket prices starting at $45, the Miami GP is a pricier ticket with the expected 275,000 spectators buying packages starting at $450 for the three-day weekend. Hollywood and sports celebrities abound, and Ross has even constructed an artificial harbor so Miami mega-yachts can belly up to the venue like F1’s marquee Monaco race in Europe.
Cadillac F1 has leaned into the celebrity vibe by contracting with American fashion design company Tommy Hilfiger on a line of sportwear and debuting an 18-part YouTube series starring actor Terry Crews that takes viewers behind F1’s exclusive curtain.
The team also introduced a bespoke livery for the Miami race featuring the Stars-and-Stripes integrated into its black-and-white graphics scheme. For example, the front wing includes 50 stars, while the rear wing features a red, white, and blue “USA.” Drivers Sergio Checo Pérez from Mexico and Finland’s Valtteri Bottas will sport Miami-specific race suits.
“I’m excited to jump back in the car with there being no better place to do so than on home soil for the team,” said Bottas. “Being able to represent the Cadillac Formula 1 Team at its first home race is a special moment. I can’t wait to get out on track in front of the home crowd and feel the energy they bring.”
The Oracle Red Bull team’s home is Milton Keynes, England, but Ford has played a central role in the development of its in-house power unit (Cadillac is using a Ferrari drivetrain until its hybrid unit is ready in 2029).
While Cadillac gets its sea legs in its inaugural F1 season at the back of the pack, Ford Racing is determined to keep four-time champion Verstappen of the Netherlands (and French co-driver Isack Hadjar) at the front of the pack. After three races, Verstappen finds himself in an unfamiliar ninth position in the World Championship with just 12 points as Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren have dominated.
For Miami, the Oracle Red Bull team will bring a revised RB22 race car.
“I don't really enjoy driving the car, but I do enjoy working with all the people in the team and from the engine department as well,” Verstappen told media early this season. “I've had discussions with Formula One and (governing body) FIA (about regulations) . . . there are a few options that we are discussing."
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Miami F1 preview: Cadillac, Ford square off amid series turmoil