As Cadillac makes its F1 debut, history shows new teams can win big or fail

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Cadillac might just be the best-prepared new team in Formula 1 history.

The General Motors and TWG Motorsports co-owned team racked up the virtual miles in detailed race simulations last year and was reliable in preseason testing with its new car, named for Mario Andretti, even if it’s likely to be fighting with struggling Aston Martin not to be last.

The rubber hits the road for real as the 11th team at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.

From a one-season wonder to a notorious disgrace, here is a look at some other debut seasons from F1 history for Cadillac to aspire to, or avoid:

Ferrari (1950)

Everyone starts somewhere. In the first world championship season, Ferrari was an emerging manufacturer in the shadow of Italian giants Alfa Romeo and Maserati. Alberto Ascari’s second-place finish at the Monaco Grand Prix made a statement that Ferrari was serious. José Froilán González brought Ferrari its first win a year later and Ascari became the team’s first champion in 1952. Ferrari is the only team to participate in every F1 season.