A few minutes with GM Formula 1 aerodynamics engineer Anthony Heenan
2025-04-25
It’s official: GM has joined the Formula 1 grid. As the Cadillac Formula 1 Team approaches their series debut in 2026, the team is acquiring top engineering talent from around the world to continue developing the car and power unit.
Meet Anthony Heenan. He’s the lead engineer at GM Motorsports for aerodynamics innovation. After decades of experience as an aerodynamicist working in F1 for automakers like Ferrari, Sauber, and Williams, Anthony knows his way around the track.
We sat down with Heenan at the GM Charlotte Technical Center in Concord, NC to find out how he’s helping Cadillac and GM take a victory lap for innovation.
Tell us about your road to GM.
I earned my Masters in Aeronautical Engineering and a Ph.D. in aerodynamics from the Imperial College in London. After that, I worked on experimental practical aerodynamics problems in academia.
In 2003, I got my first job at Ferrari working as an F1 test engineer.
How was that?
I started as a junior test engineer and worked my way up over six years. I worked on geometrical updates to increase aerodynamics performance. It was a successful time for the Ferrari team – I was part of three world championships.
What was a typical day like on an F1 Team?
The races happen every two weeks, but the vehicle development happened 24/7.
We constantly develop new designs, testing each in a wind tunnel. When the results were better, we brought them to the vehicles at the track.
Then you went to the Williams Racing F1 team, correct?
Correct. In 2008, Williams headhunted me for a senior role, and I took the offer.
I spent the next 11 years in their aerodynamics department, overseeing aero-development and the methodology and processes used to develop the vehicles. I had freedom to innovate new solutions. My experimental apparatus was the car at the racetrack.
And then you changed teams.
I moved to Sauber F1 in Switzerland in 2019. I was head of aerodynamics research and development – similar to my role at Williams. I ensured my team’s productivity was as high as possible, and that their tools were state of the art.
I was also head of the wind tunnel group, which ran Sauber’s wind tunnel facility.
Sauber was acquired by Audi, which was preparing their F1 entry in 2026. I wasn’t sure what my role would be, so I started looking elsewhere.
And you landed at GM, working on the Cadillac F1 team.
Yes – I started in October 2024. My wife also worked for Sauber and found an opportunity at GM before me. Similar to my work with other F1 teams, I’m working with development activities in GM Motorsports, bringing new technologies and processes to aerodynamics.
What attracted you to motorsports as a career path?
The focus of motorsports is making the car faster – not necessarily making a bigger profit. Both of those are very difficult challenges, but they are different.
What’s exciting about automotive tech?
I love problem solving. I’m a born engineer – I grew up building Legos. Now I use much more expensive building blocks.
I do like cars. But I wouldn’t say that working with cars is a requirement for me. If t was competitive engineering in sailing or motorbikes – I’ve worked on bobsleds before, too – I’d be equally satisfied. I’d still be overcoming the same laws of physics. But if you’re passionate about competitive engineering and automotive tech, motorsports is a great place to be.
How do you like the work culture here at GM?
It’s very positive, and I’m impressed. The human side of the company is very important to everyone, from the top down. All the systems and processes that have been put in place to ensure a good culture. That, for me, is very mature compared to other work environments
What challenges does Cadillac F1 face in preparation for 2026?
Success in motorsports and success in OEM car manufacturing require two separate skillsets. They are slightly different. The challenge will be ensuring that the requirements of effective and high-quality motorsport activity are there, even if it conflicts with what an OEM manufacturer needs to be successful.
How will GM’s work on F1 impact the rest of the company?
GM entering F1 creates a big opportunity – not just for motorsports, but to transfer “know-how” approaches to technologies too. Innovations can happen much faster in motorsports compared to the OEM side of the business, and GM is a testbed for innovation.
If we bring that energy into the OEM side of the business, product development, process change, and improvement can happen faster. That can help GM stay at the forefront of automotive innovation.
Why should engineers consider joining the Cadillac F1 team?
Making a car more powerful and efficient is satisfying. Working somewhere like Boeing or Airbus, it might take years – even decades – before you see the technology you work on out in the world.
In F1, you see the fruits of your labor in a short period of time. You develop a solution on Monday, and it’s live at the racetrack next weekend.
If you like a challenge, you’ll compete against the best of the best engineers in the world. If you succeed, you’re as good as anyone in F1.
Learn more about GM and Formula 1:
By Stephen Harber, content strategist, talent marketing
It’s official: GM has joined the Formula 1 grid. As the Cadillac Formula 1 Team approaches their series debut in 2026, the team is acquiring top engineering talent from around the world to continue developing the car and power unit.
Meet Anthony Heenan. He’s the lead engineer at GM Motorsports for aerodynamics innovation. After decades of experience as an aerodynamicist working in F1 for automakers like Ferrari, Sauber, and Williams, Anthony knows his way around the track.
We sat down with Heenan at the GM Charlotte Technical Center in Concord, NC to find out how he’s helping Cadillac and GM take a victory lap for innovation.
Tell us about your road to GM.
I earned my Masters in Aeronautical Engineering and a Ph.D. in aerodynamics from the Imperial College in London. After that, I worked on experimental practical aerodynamics problems in academia.
In 2003, I got my first job at Ferrari working as an F1 test engineer.
How was that?
I started as a junior test engineer and worked my way up over six years. I worked on geometrical updates to increase aerodynamics performance. It was a successful time for the Ferrari team – I was part of three world championships.
What was a typical day like on an F1 Team?
The races happen every two weeks, but the vehicle development happened 24/7.
We constantly develop new designs, testing each in a wind tunnel. When the results were better, we brought them to the vehicles at the track.
Then you went to the Williams Racing F1 team, correct?
Correct. In 2008, Williams headhunted me for a senior role, and I took the offer.
I spent the next 11 years in their aerodynamics department, overseeing aero-development and the methodology and processes used to develop the vehicles. I had freedom to innovate new solutions. My experimental apparatus was the car at the racetrack.
And then you changed teams.
I moved to Sauber F1 in Switzerland in 2019. I was head of aerodynamics research and development – similar to my role at Williams. I ensured my team’s productivity was as high as possible, and that their tools were state of the art.
I was also head of the wind tunnel group, which ran Sauber’s wind tunnel facility.
Sauber was acquired by Audi, which was preparing their F1 entry in 2026. I wasn’t sure what my role would be, so I started looking elsewhere.
And you landed at GM, working on the Cadillac F1 team.
Yes – I started in October 2024. My wife also worked for Sauber and found an opportunity at GM before me. Similar to my work with other F1 teams, I’m working with development activities in GM Motorsports, bringing new technologies and processes to aerodynamics.
What attracted you to motorsports as a career path?
The focus of motorsports is making the car faster – not necessarily making a bigger profit. Both of those are very difficult challenges, but they are different.
What’s exciting about automotive tech?
I love problem solving. I’m a born engineer – I grew up building Legos. Now I use much more expensive building blocks.
I do like cars. But I wouldn’t say that working with cars is a requirement for me. If t was competitive engineering in sailing or motorbikes – I’ve worked on bobsleds before, too – I’d be equally satisfied. I’d still be overcoming the same laws of physics. But if you’re passionate about competitive engineering and automotive tech, motorsports is a great place to be.
How do you like the work culture here at GM?
It’s very positive, and I’m impressed. The human side of the company is very important to everyone, from the top down. All the systems and processes that have been put in place to ensure a good culture. That, for me, is very mature compared to other work environments
What challenges does Cadillac F1 face in preparation for 2026?
Success in motorsports and success in OEM car manufacturing require two separate skillsets. They are slightly different. The challenge will be ensuring that the requirements of effective and high-quality motorsport activity are there, even if it conflicts with what an OEM manufacturer needs to be successful.
How will GM’s work on F1 impact the rest of the company?
GM entering F1 creates a big opportunity – not just for motorsports, but to transfer “know-how” approaches to technologies too. Innovations can happen much faster in motorsports compared to the OEM side of the business, and GM is a testbed for innovation.
If we bring that energy into the OEM side of the business, product development, process change, and improvement can happen faster. That can help GM stay at the forefront of automotive innovation.
Why should engineers consider joining the Cadillac F1 team?
Making a car more powerful and efficient is satisfying. Working somewhere like Boeing or Airbus, it might take years – even decades – before you see the technology you work on out in the world.
In F1, you see the fruits of your labor in a short period of time. You develop a solution on Monday, and it’s live at the racetrack next weekend.
If you like a challenge, you’ll compete against the best of the best engineers in the world. If you succeed, you’re as good as anyone in F1.
Learn more about GM and Formula 1:
`hbh] w6 H@? 2 EC24< 492>A:@?D9:A 2?5 7:?:D965 D64@?5 EH:46 E@ E9C66\E:>6 x?5:2?2A@=:D d__ 492>A:@? q@33J &?D6C 
(Including back-to-back-to-back homers!)
