New Delhi, Aug 26 : Formula One newcomers Cadillac have firmly dismissed speculation linking former Red Bull boss Christian Horner with a role in their setup, reiterating their full backing for current team principal Graeme Lowdon ahead of their 2026 debut.

The General Motors-backed outfit, which will enter the sport next season as the 11th team on the grid, appointed Lowdon as its first principal last December. Rumours had swirled following Horner's exit from Red Bull last month, but Cadillac moved quickly to quash them.

'There have been no talks with Christian Horner, no plans to do that,' Cadillac F1 chief executive Dan Towriss, who also runs TWG Motorsports, told reporters. 'So, I'd like to officially shut down that rumour. Our support, belief, backing is 100% in Graeme Lowdon.'

On Tuesday, Cadillac also announced its maiden Formula One driver lineup, signing race-winning veterans Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas.

Perez, a six-time Grand Prix winner, previously raced under Horner at Red Bull but was dropped at the end of 2024 ' with two years left on his contract ' after struggling alongside four-time world champion Max Verstappen.

Horner, who became Red Bull's team principal in 2005, built the outfit from midfield contenders into multiple world champions within five years. His sudden exit last month led to speculation over his next move, but Cadillac has made clear they are charting their own path under Lowdon.

While Lowdon is untested as a principal, he has prior experience as chief executive of the now-defunct Marussia team, formerly run by Manor Motorsport. Cadillac has also been recruiting aggressively from other F1 outfits, including Red Bull, and is already said to be larger in scale than U.S. rivals Haas.

The team will operate across Indianapolis, North Carolina, and Silverstone, combining American and European bases. Cadillac F1 forms part of TWG Motorsports, the motorsport arm of billionaire Mark Walter's TWG Global, which also owns Andretti Global in North America.

Towriss stressed that the project is firmly focused on its own leadership and vision.

'Our support, belief, backing is 100% in Graeme Lowdon,' he repeated, making clear that Cadillac is committed to their chosen direction as they prepare for a landmark first season in Formula One.

/IANS