Cadillac Formula 1 Launches “Cadillac Countdown” As Super Bowl Reveal Nears

Cadillac Formula 1 is stepping into the spotlight. With the launch of the “Cadillac Countdown” activation in Times Square ahead of its Super Bowl livery reveal, this is no longer about preparation or process. It is about introduction, presenting a new brand to Formula 1, to the American market, and to a global audience, using the biggest stage in sport to say who Cadillac is and how it intends to arrive.

Key Points – Cadillac Countdown

• Update: The Cadillac Formula 1 livery was revealed during Super Bowl LX on February 8, with the full car unveiled publicly in Times Square immediately after the broadcast. Our full analysis of what Cadillac Formula 1 actually controls in its first season, and why Ferrari power shapes its early limits, is available here.
• Cadillac Formula 1 has launched the “Cadillac Countdown,” a multi-day Times Square activation ahead of its inaugural livery reveal
• The activation runs from February 6 to February 9 and centres on a physical installation housing a replica Formula 1 car
• The livery will be revealed during a Super Bowl commercial, with the Times Square display unveiling the car immediately afterwards
• The strategy targets a mainstream US audience while also drawing existing Formula One fans toward the Super Bowl broadcast
• Media will have early access ahead of game day, with the activation expected to feature in pre-Super Bowl coverage

From On-Track Commitment To Public Introduction

Earlier this month, the Cadillac Formula 1 journey sprang into life. It went from theory to reality with the first Cadillac car hitting the track at Silverstone for a shakedown, with Sergio Perez behind the wheel.

The team is currently on track in Barcelona for the Formula One shakedown. Cadillac Formula 1 is now into the next phase of its journey. The car is running. Systems are being exercised as Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas circulate the circuit in that special test livery, a tribute to the team who assembled it.

The Cadillac Countdown now represents the launch. Barcelona has been about internal validation and operational readiness, but that shakedown has taken place behind closed doors. This is the moment Cadillac Formula 1 is introduced to the public.

Between February 6 and 9, Cadillac is taking over Times Square with a ‘Countdown Box’, a chrome-clad installation that keeps the actual car hidden behind frosted glass, teasing only the silhouette until the clock hits zero.

The tease is this: until the Super Bowl reveal, the car will remain obscured behind frosted glass, revealing only silhouettes and movement as a large-format digital clock counts down to the unveiling, building anticipation.

Immediately following the Super Bowl broadcast, the frosted exterior will clear to reveal the full car and livery in public, remaining on display into the following day in one of the most visible locations in the United States.

The Super Bowl As A Two-Way Gateway

Launching during the Super Bowl is a statement.

For Cadillac, the broadcast delivers reach into millions of homes across the United States, many of which may have little existing connection to Formula One but will almost certainly have strong familiarity with the brand itself. The result will pique interest. It will stir curiosity.

The move also works the other way. Formula One already has a growing American fanbase, alongside an international fanbase eager to get a look at the new 11th team on the grid. The promise of Cadillac’s first full livery reveal gives those fans a reason to tune into a broadcast they may not normally watch.

This is not borrowed attention. It is a deliberate overlap, creating a moment where two audiences meet rather than pass each other by.

This moment lands inside a Super Bowl now framed by Apple’s halftime show. It also coincides with Apple’s new era as Formula One’s US broadcast partner.

Presence, Not Noise

Cadillac are making a statement here. Make no mistake about it.

The Barcelona shakedown livery was deliberately restrained, protecting commercial value and keeping sponsor exposure limited ahead of a more valuable launch window, while also paying tribute to the people who have brought this project to life. The Countdown follows the same logic. It’s controlled. The messaging is paced. The reveal is timed to land when attention is highest rather than rushed through for effect. This is a team determined to do it the Cadillac way.

Times Square is not being used for theatrics alone. It gives the reveal physical presence beyond a single television slot, extending the life of the moment and grounding it in a location that will be seen, filmed, and shared. It is also the crossroads of the world. Broadway, broadcast, and entertainment converge here, and at the centre will sit a countdown to one of the biggest American brands joining the biggest global motorsport series. The bright lights of Broadway meet the bright lights of the starting grid.

Media access ahead of game day also reinforces that intent. This is designed to sit within the wider Super Bowl conversation, not disappear once the advert ends.

The Cadillac Timeline Tightens

With the Barcelona shakedown almost drawing to a close, the Super Bowl livery reveal is set for February 8. The livery will then hit the track at the first Bahrain pre-season test, running from February 11 to 13, followed by the final pre-season test in Bahrain from February 18 to 20. The team’s competitive debut is scheduled for the Australian Grand Prix on March 8. The Cadillac Formula 1 project is now into its final stages.

Each of these steps is part of the journey. Each one has a purpose. Each one is a significant milestone on the road to the grid.

Coffee Corner Take

It would be wrong to treat this as just a livery launch, or just another step, because it is more than that. It is history.

This is one of the most iconic brands in America, at the most iconic sporting event in America, launching from an iconic venue in America.

This is Cadillac being unashamedly proud of its heritage and its roots. Yes, the car has links to the Silverstone factory. Yes, it may be starting its journey powered by that familiar Italian prancing horse through a Ferrari power unit supply. But make no mistake about it. This is an all-American team entering the grid.

The countdown is on. The wait is almost over. The anticipation is rising.

Tying the livery reveal to the Super Bowl is not about noise. It is a big, bold statement. Formula One fans are given a reason to tune in. Super Bowl viewers are given a first, deliberate introduction to a team that understands the value of arrival.

As someone recently said after Apple took over Formula One’s US broadcast rights, if you think Formula One is already big in America, you are wrong. The emphasis on this market is about growth. Three races. Major brands. Teams increasingly aligned with American partners. It is not hard to see why Formula One is pushing here.

With Ford returning alongside Red Bull Powertrains for 2026, Formula One’s American pull has already become impossible to ignore. Cadillac’s arrival only sharpens that picture, bringing another major US manufacturer onto the grid with serious intent.

Around that, the commercial gravity is shifting too. Tommy Hilfiger may be the Official Apparel Partner, but recent appearances from Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas, and Zhou Guanyu have all shown the drivers wearing matching Nike footwear. In Formula One terms, that kind of consistency is rarely accidental. There are growing signs that a Beaverton-based sportswear giant may be preparing a return to the paddock for the first time since the days of Michael Schumacher’s custom race boots. If Cadillac has indeed managed to bring the Swoosh back to the grid to sit alongside its own Stars and Stripes, it would be the ultimate commercial statement, especially given the recent arrival of adidas elsewhere on the grid.

This launch does not feel like an isolated moment. It feels like the front edge of something bigger.

After the reveal, the conversation will shift. From sponsors to results. From anticipation to judgement. The wait will be over, and the project will begin to be measured on track.

And as both an F1 and an NFL fan, I’m here for it.