Formula 1 has agreed a deal in principle with American automobile giant General Motors (GM) and its Cadillac brand to enter the sport as the 11th team in 2026, Afrosport reports.
The deal will see Cadillac join as a customer team while developing its in-house power units from 2028 and beyond with the help of the existing Andretti Global project based in Silverstone.
F1 governing body, the FIA, had previously accepted a prospective bid from GM but it was rejected as it was not seen as having enough value to the sport.
There had also been friction between Andretti Global head Michael Andretti and F1 executives over his aggressive push to get his way in, which involved the United States Congress and the Department of Justice. Andretti has however ceded control to majority owner Dan Towriss in September, with GM presenting a more compelling bid with a better commitment as a constructor.
“With Formula 1’s continued growth plans in the US, we have always believed that welcoming an impressive US brand like GM/Cadillac to the grid and GM as a future power unit supplier could bring additional value and interest to the sport,” outgoing Liberty Media CEO and president Greg Maffei said in a statement on the F1 website.
“We credit the leadership of General Motors and their partners with significant progress in their readiness to enter Formula 1. We are excited to move forward with the application process for the GM/Cadillac team to enter the Championship in 2026.”
Statement on General Motors application to join FIA Formula One World Championship in 2026https://t.co/oI2R6K6aRN
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 25, 2024
GM president Mark Reuss added: “As the pinnacle of motorsports, F1 demands boundary-pushing innovation and excellence. It’s an honour for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world’s premier racing series, and we’re committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for race fans around the world. This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM’s engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level.”
Cadillac will be the second American team on the current F1 grid after Haas which has been operating since 2016.
