Formula 1 didn’t just announce the debut of a new team for the upcoming 2026 season. The addition of legendary car maker Cadillac means more than two more cars lining up on the grid next year. One of the oldest car manufacturers in the world, Cadillac is certainly a household name, but one that is known rather for luxury sedans and multi-ton SUVs than for going fast. Now, however, the Escalades from many a hip hop video are heading to the race track!
With the driver pairing of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, Cadillac took the legendary Outkast song to heart. While they might not be competitive in the constructors’ championship right away, they certainly are winning on social media. The F1 equivalent of a duo like Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith in the NBA1, the two drivers embody the mixture of racing-savvy on the track and congenial personalities off of it that is perfectly suited to bring in fans for the newest team on the grid.
While motorsport fans are eagerly awaiting the debut of this dynamic duo and Cadillac engineers are trying to figure out how big a radiator grill they are allowed to install within F1 rules and regulations, here are some hand-picked examples from Cadillacs in pop culture that are more or less(!) likely to serve as inspiration for next season’s race car design:
Cadillac has long held a revered spot in hip hop culture, with artists consistently having elevated Cadillacs from mere tools for transportation into a statement of status and cultural belonging: From Outkast’s early odes like Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik or Two Dope Boyz (In a Cadillac) to Big K.R.I.T.’s Cadillactica, the cars have inspired entire songs and albums.
Ludacris immortalized them in Southern Hospitality with bars that celebrate Cadillac grills and candy paint, while 50 Cent and Rich Boy pushed boundaries by putting Lamborghini doors on the former’s Escalade or via more DeVilles than you’ve ever seen before in just one music video.
At her NFL halftime show, Beyoncé made a loud statement by rolling out with 16 white Cadillacs – a striking nod to her song 16 Carriages. If anyone still needed proof, the spectacle offered undeniable evidence of the deep connection between Cadillacs and the South:
Hailing from Texas, Beyoncé joins the ranks of the aforementioned Outkast, Ludacris, and Rich Boy, proudly representing a region defined by wide highways, sprawling cities, and a car culture just as big and bold.
Cadillacs have long been screen legends, turning heads as much on asphalt as they do on camera. From the iconic Ecto-1 in Ghostbusters, with its sirens blazing and roof rack loaded for supernatural duty, to Boss Hogg’s triple-white 1970 Cadillac DeVille in The Dukes of Hazzard, cruising the backroads of Hazzard County, the brand has consistently fused style with cinematic drama.
1. Highly talented and with a proven track record – yet not the face of the organization – they were crucial components of winning teams with measurable contributions to their respective squad’s championship. ↩
