Cadillac has announced the appointment of Marc Hynes as its Chief Racing Officer, as the American team prepares for its debut season.

In his new position, Hynes will work to ensure peak performance throughout the team's racing operations. He will play a central role in aligning the driver roster and engineering groups, streamlining processes and strengthening collaboration between the technical and sporting departments to deliver an efficient, competitive, and disciplined team environment.

Hynes will manage the team's driver programme, including race drivers Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, reserve driver Zhou Guanyu, and test driver Colton Herta. He joins with extensive experience as both a professional racing driver and a respected figure in driver management, offering a unique blend of competitive insight and leadership.

The 47-year-old, a long-time friend of Lewis Hamilton, was 1995 Formula Vauxhall Junior Champion, 1997 British Formula Renault Champion and 1999 British Formula 3 Champion and Formula 3 Masters winner.

Having tested with British American Racing, he subsequently joined the Marussia F1 Team as head of driver development.

"Building a new team in Formula 1 is a rare challenge," said the Briton, "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."

"Marc brings an exceptional combination of racing experience, strategic understanding, and people management to the team," added team boss, Graeme Lowdon. "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."