Remarkably available for all fans. That was the key takeaway from Grand Prix on SI's night spent at Cadillac Ranch House on Friday after Free Practice. Fans, content creators, journalists, and countless members of the Cadillac F1 Team relaxed on the patio and inside the restaurant as Cadillac's year-one vision continued to take shape in front of our eyes.

At the start of the Formula 1 season, Cadillac leadership said this was a year of learning – being their first year in the sport. However, it was a quote from their Chief Marketing Officer, Ahmed Iqbal, that resonated. Cadillac is entering Formula 1 as the team for 'everyone'. No black box. No follower requirement to get in the door to see the drivers speak.

This isn't to say other Formula 1 teams don't do this, but it's important to note that nine times out of 10, it is for one of their sponsors, not to build a community. For Cadillac, building that community in Austin was about "coming home."

As it turns out, the drivers, Valtteri and Checo, felt it too – even with Checo's 'real' home race coming just one week later. Grand Prix on SI caught a few minutes with the drivers to check in on how they've felt this season, not on track, but in cultivating what it means to be a fan of the Cadillac Formula 1 Team.

The Ranch House on South Lamar

From 5 PM to 10 PM, fans flocked to Loro Asian Smokehouse & Bar to, for lack of better phrasing, embrace the 'Austin' and 'COTA' culture alongside the American team. Guests checked in on the patio and walked straight into a world Cadillac built for them: a show car parked in the 'Livery Lot', a 'Cadillac Trading Post', and a Jim Beam bar pouring signature drinks for the Texas crowd.

The rest of the property ran as a loop of interactive stops. There were race simulators on the patio, an AKG photo booth, art installations, Bandana Pit Stop, a live band, and food directly from Loro's Asian-Tex-Mex fusion menu. At Patch Lane, fans built their own tote bags for free, and Rumi Lane allowed them to turn merch into something custom and personal. You could even sign F1 car 'statues' to commemorate the evening.

As a journalist, I have attended many events like this, but Cadillac made specific moments feel different. First, as stated, fans were allowed in. Second, most, if not all, stations were entirely free of charge – a 'gift' generally for VIP guests, but not for fans. Third, the highlight of the night: the ability to see both Valtteri and Checo speak, and maybe even snag a picture.

Did the Cadillac team have to cap attendance? Yes. Was it only one night? Yes. However, it's their first year - a year to iterate and learn.

Bottas scanned the room and the smiling faces of fans as Grand Prix on SI asked him about what it's like to be a part of a team putting on events like this.

"It's my first time seeing it, actually. It's really cool to see. Good energy. Lots of people. Seems like people are having fun. They've been sorted with drinks, I think. So, it's awesome. Like, if I was a fan, I would be here."

Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac F1 Team

It's true that although COTA is Cadillac's home race, this race means so much to Valtteri Bottas. He recalled that this was where he scored his first career points in Formula 1 and won his first race in 2019. The city has stuck with him ever since.

Then, we have the behemoth of fan support in North America, Sergio 'Checo' Perez. Perez will have his own home race in Mexico City, but Austin has long doubled as a second home crowd for him, with a large Mexican population and many making the trip north every October.

"It means a lot to have all of the amazing support that I get from all the fans here. To be able to enjoy the sport I love in this way with all of my fans is something incredible. It is very special to be able to come here, see everyone having a great time. I think it's a really nice event done by the team."

Sergio 'Checo' Perez, Cadillac F1 Team

Cadillac, a Team for Everyone

It was pretty obvious to many that the Ranch House would be a catalyst for more as the Cadillac F1 Team winds down season one and turns its attention to 2027. It was true to the identity that Cadillac started building before they turned a single lap on track.

When I wrote last December that CEO Dan Towriss wanted to show up in Formula 1 in a way that "feels bold, innovative, and distinctly ours," the point was made by pointing to the Super Bowl Livery Reveal.

Then, on February 8, the livery debuted in a Super Bowl ad spot and in Times Square. Again, the CMO said the point of this reveal was to reach everyone who could possibly be touched by the Cadillac F1 Team.

However, at the restaurant in Austin, it was clear their commentary wasn't corporate jargon to get people talking. They meant it. Towriss and Iqbal even showed up and mingled with the fans. Bottas and Perez both agreed that the vision of a 'team for everyone' is a goal internally as well.

"The car launch at the Super Bowl was next level. We're definitely trying to do things differently and reach everyone, really, to support us and join this journey, which is pretty amazing."

Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac F1 Team

This is a vision that reaches as far as the F1 cockpit, with F1 drivers generally just showing up where they are told, rather than embodying team culture for fans.

Checo, of course, was candid about the other side of the equation. The fan and marketing side may be moving faster than the car itself.

"We are pure racers as a team. I think the progress being done from the team on the racing side, it's been a very tricky year because other teams have more resources in place for us. It's a brand new team, and we have a lot of things to learn before we are able to progress with the car. So I think really, it's only next year where we will see a big difference, hopefully, in the car."

Sergio Perez, Cadillac F1 Team

That gap, though, is exactly why nights like Cadillac Ranch House matter. Results will take time in Formula 1, but it is made substantially harder if your team is also not resonating with fans and, therefore, sponsors.

So, this year, a restaurant donning black-and-white team colors, Jim Beam Cocktails, and smiling fans will have to do the job. Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas agree: if Valtteri were a fan, he would be there too.

And on Friday night in Austin, plenty of them were.