Cadillac Joins the Party, Horner Packs His Bags, and Summer Break’s Finally Over

Well folks, summer’s over. Pack away the Aperol spritz, quit posting yacht photos, and let’s get back to some proper racing. Formula 1 roars back this weekend, and the whole paddock feels like it’s been flipped upside down.

First up, Cadillac has officially joined the grid for 2026. Yes, Cadillac. The American luxury brand that makes Escalades is about to square off with Ferrari and Mercedes. And they didn’t come empty handed either they signed Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas. That’s a combined sixteen race wins, hundreds of starts, and two guys who aren’t here for rookie hazing. Bottas still looks like he’s got another gear in him, and Checo gets his redemption arc after the Red Bull breakup.

Cadillac’s not just slapping their logo on a car either. They’re building hubs in Silverstone, Charlotte, and Indianapolis, running Ferrari engines until their own unit is ready, and running operations “mission control” style like NASA. And yes, there’s even a Keanu Reeves documentary in the works. You can’t make this stuff up.

Meanwhile, the championship fight is heating up with only ten races left. McLaren holds the top cards: Oscar Piastri leads Lando Norris by nine points, and they’ve been stacking up one two finishes like it’s a Costco sale. Max Verstappen gets his home race at Zandvoort, but this isn’t the Red Bull steamroller anymore. The balance of power has shifted.

And then there’s Christian Horner. After months of drama, Red Bull cut the cord, and for the first time in two decades, the grid is moving on without him. The rumor mill immediately tried to bolt him into Cadillac’s shiny new setup, but the Americans shut that talk down quick. No Horner, no drama, just clean air for Graeme Lowdon to run the show.

So here we are: Cadillac’s in, Horner’s out, McLaren’s flying, and Verstappen’s got to defend his backyard. Buckle up. The season just went from simmer to full boil.