Cadillac unveils split livery in £7.3m Super Bowl ad

Cadillac’s entry marks the first time that US auto giant General Motors, its parent company, has competed in Formula 1.

Torres said Cadillac was trying to make a statement when it took its first steps into Formula 1.

“You can say we are competing against other teams, but in reality Formula 1 is competing against other sports,” he said.

“You’re competing against the Super Bowl. You’re competing against what’s happening in stick and ball sports, the NFL, all the things that are happening in the Olympics. There’s a World Cup this year. So there’s a lot going on.”

“So I think we as teams need to continue to find innovative ways to capture that interest, tell stories and connect with fans.”

Both Torres and Loudon stressed that Cadillac faces an uphill struggle in Formula 1 this year.

“We’re a brand new team,” Torres said. “So we’re going to have winning days and we’re going to have some carnage along the way as well. There’s a lot to learn in this first year.”

He said that the team did not set itself a specific goal for the season’s performance.

“For me, points would be an arbitrary goal,” Torres said. “I think I want to look at which teams are superior, which cars are superior on track, and how many cars we can pass in the first year on the grid.

“So I think that’s the way we’re thinking about it. And secondly, it’s going to be the rate of development on this car as well. Obviously we have a long-term view of the team.”