Cadillac appoints Marc Hynes as Chief Racing Officer ahead of Formula 1 debut

Hynes will take responsibility for the team’s racing operations, with a remit focused on performance delivery across the sporting and technical sides of the organisation. His role includes aligning the driver line-up with the engineering groups, streamlining operational processes, and strengthening collaboration between departments as Cadillac prepares for its first campaign on the grid.

A key part of the brief will be overseeing Cadillac’s driver programme. This includes race drivers Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez, reserve driver Zhou Guanyu, and test driver Colton Herta. Hynes arrives with experience both as a former professional racing driver and through senior roles in driver management, bringing a blend of competitive insight and leadership as Cadillac transitions into Formula 1.

Cadillac is currently on track in Bahrain this week for official testing from February 11 to 13, continuing its preparations for the opening round of the season. The team’s first Formula 1 race weekend will come at the Australian Grand Prix on March 8, marking the formal start of its competitive programme.

Hynes said: “Building a new team in Formula 1 is a rare challenge, and I’m excited to help shape the culture, processes, and performance standards from the very beginning. We have a strong and diverse driver line-up, and my focus will be on creating the clarity, alignment, and discipline needed to allow everyone, drivers and engineers alike, to perform at their very best.”

Team Principal Graeme Lowdon highlighted the strategic importance of the appointment: “Marc brings an exceptional combination of racing experience, strategic understanding, and people management to the team. His ability to connect drivers, engineers, and leadership will be critical as we establish ourselves on the grid. As we enter our debut season, having someone of Marc’s calibre guiding our racing operations is a major asset for the Cadillac Formula 1 Team.”

With senior leadership roles now taking shape and on track running underway, Cadillac continues to lay the foundations for its first Formula 1 season as attention turns towards Melbourne and the start of a new era for the American manufacturer.

Born in Guildford, Surrey (UK) on 26 February 1978 and grew up immersed in the domestic single seater ladder that shaped a generation of UK racing talent. His junior career followed the traditional British pathway, progressing through Formula Vauxhall and Formula Renault before establishing himself as one of the standout drivers of his era.

Hynes’ post junior career was wide-ranging, spanning sportscars and a role as test driver in the Grand Prix Masters series following his time in Formula 3000. He later transitioned into driver coaching and management, becoming Manor’s Head of Driver Development and playing a broader role in the operation of the team as it evolved into its World Endurance Championship programme, having previously worked in a similar capacity during Manor’s Formula 1 campaign.

In 2014, Hynes made an unexpected return to competitive racing in the British Touring Car Championship, underlining his continued connection to the sport as an active driver. Alongside this, he ran Project Forty Four, a marketing and promotion business that supported Lewis Hamilton, before stepping away from that partnership in 2021 to pursue other promotional and commercial ventures. In 2024, Hamilton returned to Hynes’ management portfolio.

His rise through the junior ranks was rapid and emphatic. Hynes won the 1995 British Formula Vauxhall Junior title, followed by the 1997 British Formula Renault championship, before securing the 1999 British Formula 3 crown ahead of drivers including Burti and Button.