The quiet hum of the Formula 1 off-season has been shattered, not by the roar of engines, but by the sharp crack of a brewing civil war between two titans of American industry. As the 2026 regulations loom on the horizon, Ford and General Motors (via Cadillac) have engaged in a fascinating, high-stakes standoff to determine who will be the true face of American motorsport on the global stage.
What began as a polite entry into the paddock has dissolved into a pointed exchange of barbs, philosophical disagreements, and a battle for the hearts and minds of fans. The “tea,” as they say, has been spilled, and it is scalding.
The First Shot: “Just a Marketing Deal”
The tension reached a boiling point recently when Dan Towriss, the CEO of Cadillac’s F1 project, decided to take the gloves off. In a move that surprised many observers with its bluntness, Towriss drew a sharp line in the sand between Cadillac’s entry and Ford’s partnership with Red Bull Racing.
“It’s not even close,” Towriss remarked regarding the commitment levels of the two manufacturers. His argument? Ford is merely engaged in a “marketing deal with very minimal impact,” while General Motors is an equity owner, building a team from the ground up with Andretti.
It was a calculated strike, designed to position Cadillac as the “serious” racer—the entity with actual skin in the game, enduring the bruised knuckles and financial hemorrhaging that comes with constructing a Formula 1 team from scratch. By framing Ford as a glorified sticker sponsor riding Red Bull’s coattails, Towriss attempted to delegitimize his rival’s technical credentials before the first light even turns green.
Ford’s Furious Rebuttal
Naturally, Ford did not take this characterization lying down. Mark Rushbrook, the global director of Ford Performance, issued a measured but firm response. He vehemently denied the “marketing only” allegations, insisting that if the doors were thrown open at their facilities, critics would see Ford engineers with their “sleeves pulled up,” working side-by-side with Red Bull.
Rushbrook emphasized that Ford is tackling a massive technical challenge, particularly regarding the internal combustion elements of the 2026 power unit—a scope that has expanded significantly since their initial announcement in 2023. While Cadillac is selling “ownership,” Ford is selling “partnership,” arguing that joining forces with a ruthless winning machine like Red Bull is a smarter, more efficient path to victory than the perilous journey of a new constructor.
The Battle for the Fans: Hot Wings vs. Heritage
Beyond the boardroom sniping, this rivalry has spilled over into a fascinating PR war. Both manufacturers are scrambling to define their brand identity to the millions of “Drive to Survive” converts and legacy fans alike.
Cadillac recently made a play for the casual audience by placing drivers Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez in a “Hot Wings” challenge on the “First We Feast” YouTube channel. It was a classic broad-reach move: highly meme-able, personality-driven, and designed to make the brand feel approachable. However, for some purists, it felt slightly forced—a glossy attempt to buy “cool” without showing the engineering grit.
Ford, on the other hand, countered with a masterstroke of content that bridged the gap between heritage and hype. They released a video featuring reigning world champion Max Verstappen and Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad testing a stunning array of historic and modern Ford race cars.
This wasn’t just influencers eating spicy chicken; this was a statement of intent. By showcasing Max Verstappen tearing around a track in everything from a classic rally car to a Supervan, Ford reminded the world of its deep, century-long racing DNA. It was a visual rebuttal to Towriss’s comments: We aren’t just marketers; we are racers.
The Return of the Honey Badger
But Ford’s true ace in the hole—the moment that set social media ablaze—was the surprise appearance of Daniel Ricciardo.
The Australian driver, whose departure from the Red Bull family was one of the most awkward storylines of the previous season, reappeared in the Ford video looking relaxed, happy, and decked out in Ford apparel. His chemistry with Max Verstappen was instant and undeniable, reigniting the “Maxiel” bromance that fans have craved for years.
This was a genius pivot by Ford. By bringing Ricciardo into the fold, presumably as a brand ambassador, they managed to have their cake and eat it too. They secured the “serious” engineering credibility through Max and the car testing, while simultaneously capturing the “lifestyle” and personality market through Ricciardo, the undeniable protagonist of the Netflix era.
Ricciardo’s presence softens the corporate edge of Ford. He brings a sense of fun, Americana (despite being Australian), and human connection that technical specs simply cannot convey. It signals to the fans that Ford understands the culture of modern F1, not just the mechanics of it.
The “Keanu” Card and The heavy Spending
Cadillac is not without its own ammunition, however. While they may have lost this specific round of the content war, they have a massive project in the pipeline: a documentary series hosted by none other than Keanu Reeves.
Echoing the universal acclaim of the Brawn GP documentary, this series aims to showcase the raw, unfiltered journey of building the Cadillac F1 team. If executed well, this could be the antidote to Ford’s polished PR. A gritty, behind-the-scenes look at the struggle, the spending, and the engineering could validate Cadillac’s “real constructor” narrative in a way a press release never could.
And make no mistake, the spending is real. Reports suggest that at its peak, the Cadillac/Andretti project was burning through $20 million a month, including a singular $7 million expenditure on software alone. This level of investment is the “commitment” Towriss speaks of—financial risk that Ford, by partnering with an existing team, largely avoids.
The Verdict: Two Different Paths to the Podium
Ultimately, there is no “wrong” approach here, only different bets on what it takes to succeed in the shark tank of Formula 1.
Cadillac is betting on legitimacy through ownership. They want to be the team that did it themselves, the American hero that built a car from the ground up to take on the Europeans. It is a romantic, expensive, and incredibly difficult path. If they succeed, the glory will be entirely theirs. If they fail, they have no one else to blame.
Ford is betting on efficiency and culture. They recognized that starting from scratch is a recipe for mid-field mediocrity, so they hitched their wagon to the fastest horse in the stable (Red Bull) while deploying a media strategy that perfectly blends heritage with modern pop-culture appeal.
As we inch closer to the 2026 launch, the “civil war” between these two giants is providing the exact kind of drama the sport thrives on. Whether you prefer the “do-it-yourself” grit of Cadillac or the “winning partnership” savvy of Ford, one thing is undeniable: American motorsport is alive, kicking, and absolutely desperate to win.
For now, Ford seems to have won the battle of public perception with their Ricciardo coup and heritage showcase. But as any F1 fan knows, the only thing that matters is the stopwatch. When the lights go out in 2026, the marketing budgets won’t save them—only the speed will. And that is a race we all can’t wait to watch.