- Cadillac will begin with customer engines before introducing its own power units in 2028.
- Michael Andretti recently transferred daily team operations to Dan Towriss for a fresh approach.
- The team has already made significant investments to advance its ambitious F1 program.
The Formula 1 grid is bracing for a fresh arrival in 2026, as GM and Cadillac finally secured a place on motorsport’s most elite stage. This comes after their initial bid was rejected in January, with F1 confirming an agreement in principle with the American automotive giant during the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend.
The genesis of the new team starts at Andretti which applied to join F1 in 2023, before it partnered with GM to run as the Cadillac team. However, the commercial rights holder of the series, Formula One Management (FOM), rejected the bid in January and questioned the competitiveness of the team. Since then, Andretti and GM have continued to invest heavily in the F1 program, and more recently, Michael Andretti handed over day-to-day operations to Dan Towriss.
Read: GM And Andretti Still Developing F1 Car Despite Being Rejected
Although the Cadillac team will no longer carry the Andretti name, Mario Andretti retains a directorial role on the team’s board. Behind the scenes, TWG Global—a key partner for GM—plays a pivotal role, further linking the project to Andretti Global, the parent company of Michael Andretti’s racing empire.
This news follows a significant power shift at Liberty Media, F1’s parent company. Outgoing CEO John Malone, was one of the key individuals who rejected Andretti’s original bid. According to NBC, Malone had said he would do everything in his power “to see that Michael [Andretti] never enters Formula 1.” Malone will step down at the end of this year.
For the 2026 and 2027 seasons, GM will run customer engines before debuting its own engine in 2028. It’s unclear which current engine manufacturer the automotive giant will rely on for 2026 and 2027.
“As the pinnacle of motorsports, F1 demands boundary-pushing innovation and excellence. It’s an honor 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,” GM president Mark Reuss said. “This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM’s engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level.”
Behind the scenes, GM and Cadillac have wasted no time assembling a team. Since early 2023, the operation has focused on aerodynamics, chassis development, vehicle dynamics simulations, and software engineering, spreading its efforts across Indiana, North Carolina, and England. The groundwork is being laid for a competitive debut.
“My first love was Formula 1 and now – 70 years later – the F1 paddock is still my happy place,” Mario Andretti said . “I’m absolutely thrilled with Cadillac, Formula 1, Mark Walter, and Dan Towriss. To still be involved at this stage of my life — I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming.”
