the real reason cadillac is in formula 1Jim Campbell loves racing. It's his work. It's his life. As the VP of Performance and Motorsports for General Motors, all aspects of racing ladder up to him, from IndyCar, to NASCAR, from Le Mans to the brand's bold new push into the global phenomenon that is Formula 1.My interview with Campbell took a few tries. Originally, I was promised some time ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix F1 race in Montreal where I was a guest of Cadillac. Travel issues pushed that back. Then the Monaco GP "got in the way."It was actually Campbell's first time at the iconic race because, as motorsports enthusiasts know so well, historically it has always fallen on the same day as the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR race. But not this year, allowing him a chance to enjoy the spectacle in person.AdvertisementAdvertisementWith all that come and gone, and Cadillac having just missed out on its first points in F1, I was rewarded with more time to chat about the real reason this iconic brand has chosen, and chosen now, as the time compete on track against the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes.Is it brand recognition? Vehicle sales? Or the pure passion of winning, in what is generally regarded as the pinnacle of motorsports?Jim Campbell, VP of Performance and Motorsports for General MotorsJim Campbell, VP of Performance and Motorsports for General MotorsIt's Complicated"As you probably expected, it's a combination of those things, for sure," says Campbell.We're now in the thick of it, after some opening banter about his first trip to the 24 Hours of Le Mans and my son's karting exploits, both of which almost sidetrack the entire interview.AdvertisementAdvertisement"I think that this is a perfect time for a Cadillac to enter F1 in large part because our Cadillac portfolio has been refreshed for markets around the world."Campbell goes on to explain that while most automakers cycle through new product launches and product refreshes, Cadillac has rolled out a long list of new models and updates all at once. And many of them are electric.This is important, not only because EVs are so critical in global markets, but also because the switch to electrification is one of those pivotal moments when disrupters can take advantage. And Cadillac is here to compete.Campbell is a motorsports enthusiast, no doubt, but he's also an executive and one who understands the critical role motorsports plays in marketing. He doesn't shy away from it.AdvertisementAdvertisement"When you think about global marketing platforms… there are things like the Olympics, music, soccer, but in F1, the car is the star (and the drivers of course), so that's why this is a good time for Cadillac."While the concept he lays out is high level, the brand is executing this strategy in a meticulous way, as they visit different countries and continents on the F1 calendar. As we speak, he details how this is happening on the ground."Fans around the world were tuned in and watching the debut of the new F1 season," he says, reflecting on the season opener in Melbourne, Australia. "But also, we were part of the storyline."And they took full advantage, officially bringing the Cadillac marque to Australia and New Zealand just the year before, while hosting the official product launch of the OPTIQ and VISTIQ prior to the race.AdvertisementAdvertisementFrom there, Campbell highlights how the F1 calendar will help with the re-launch of the brand in Europe. And how it helped promote the brand as it visited China and Japan.Then, to further Cadillac's global push, it is now also expanding into South America for the first time."So when you put it all together… the timing is right to use a platform like Formula 1 to really help us propel the launches in these markets around the world."But it's about more than a specific model launch or even the debut in a country. The power of Formula 1 is unmatched, particularly for an automotive brand."When we just announced that we were going to pursue a bid (for a Formula 1 team), the response that we saw globally was really, really overwhelming."AdvertisementAdvertisementCampbell knew it would be big, but even he wasn't ready for this.When asked what his biggest surprise about entering F1 is, he says, its the scale. "It's incredible." He describes how you can know on paper how big it is, but it doesn't prepare you for the reality.With his marketing hat on, he sees the immense scale of the social media coverage and the level of engagement. Plus the appeal to a younger demo. "There are so many young fans around the world what could be future car buyers, that we think will be some day.""So the opportunity is to introduce Cadillac and our latest lineup of vehicles to the F1 audience."AdvertisementAdvertisementJust competing in the series has changed perceptions about the brand overnight."What we find is that when you're involved in the series, people will give you more time and more of their attention and engagement. And so that's an opportunity for us to show them what's new for Cadillac, our vehicles, our technologies, the experience of owning and driving a Cadillac."The opportunity to elevate the brand doesn't come along every day. Or even every decade. The timing is perfect."As we are launching these new vehicles around the world, we're using this platform (Formula 1) as the moment to introduce new Cadillacs."Located on vibrant Karangahape Road, the newly opened Cadillac Experience Centre in Auckland, NZ is a modern luxury hub featuring a design studio, vehicle runway, premium lounge, and on-site servicing.Located on vibrant Karangahape Road, the newly opened Cadillac Experience Centre in Auckland, NZ is a modern luxury hub featuring a design studio, vehicle runway, premium lounge, and on-site servicing.Racing Makes Cadillac Better"We love competing," says Campbell. Racing makes Cadillac better, and not just from a brand perspective. It makes everyone at the brand better too.AdvertisementAdvertisement"It helps us build and design and engineer better cars and crossovers and propulsions systems for the showroom," he says. "I've seen it happen for my entire career. It's a key reason why we race.""Another reason we why race is because it's a great place to train engineers and business people in the fast paced environment of racing. They learn how to make decisions quicker, solve problems and take advantage of opportunities. We've seen when we rotate them back to the production side of the business, they're better for it and so are we as a company."Finally, he appreciates that it's not just competing but winning that brings the real results."When you win races and championships, people think about you in a different way," he says.AdvertisementAdvertisementCampbell talks about how as a team they need to learn in "fast cycles.""That is, in part, why we selected two veteran drivers who have won multiple races, they both have runners up in a championship over the years, and they can help us with their accurate and concise feedback to help develop the car at a faster rate," he says."It's all about learning this first year. Right now we're just knocking on the door of the midpack, and then, obviously, down the road, we want to get to that top tier as well."Campbell mentions how in March of 2025 it was announced they'd be racing. And a year and a few days later, they were lining up on the grid next to icons of motorsport.AdvertisementAdvertisement"It's a bit unheard of," he boasts.Despite that sharp learning curve, Campbell isn't afraid of the competition."We have a lot of respect for the competitive level," he says. "We have a lot of respect for what it's going to take to progress in this series." And yet, he knows GM is a big boy in the world of global motorsports. "We have an immense tool set that we bring not only where we develop production vehicles, but the way we have developed and competed in race series across the globe for our two divisions (Cadillac and Chevrolet). We have the widest array of racing programs between those two divisions of any manufacturer out there. And so we'll bring our best thinking and tool sets to support the F1 team."the real reason cadillac is in formula 1It Was Meant to BeAnd finally, there's another reason Cadillac is racing in Formula 1: serendipity.Campbell recounts a story from several years back of a happenstance meeting between himself and Dan Towris, CEO of TWG Motorsports, the company that now runs the Cadillac Formula 1 team.The two met in a fortuitous (and rather literal) elevator pitch. On his way to a swanky IndyCar event in Nashville, Campbell was running late. As he repeatedly pushed the elevator button to head up to the top floor, when the elevator opened, standing front and center was Towris, flanked by his wife Cassidy and their entourage.Seizing the opportunity, Campbell asked for a few moments of his time. And Towris, for his part, "quickly articulated a vision to combine forces to make a bid for an F1 team in the Formula 1 World Championship."So that two and a half minute conversation sparked a partnership that became F1's 11th team.