Cadillac is set to become the next brand represented on the world-famous Formula One (F1) grid starting in 2026, following an agreement in principle that its parent company, General Motors (GM), reached with the sport's leadership.
“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,” said GM President Mark Reuss. “This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM’s engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level.”
The announcement comes a year after the American automaker first announced its intentions to join the series alongside racing team Andretti Global, though it was initially denied entry onto the grid. Indeed, the strong focus on the Cadillac brand, and the weaker focus on Andretti Global hints at the compromises that had to be made to allow GM to enter the F1 paddock.
Former F1 driver and team owner Michael Andretti was one of the forces leading the charge to get a new team onto the grid. A successful personality on the American racing scene, Andretti recently sought to make his way onto the F1 grid by attempting to buy a stake in the Sauber racing team (which has since been purchased by Audi), and then by partnering with GM.
Getting the American automaker onboard was an important step, as Formula One was interested in attracting a major U.S. manufacturer onto its grid in an effort to attract more American fans. However, F1’s leadership repeatedly rebuffed Andretti's efforts to join the sport and, in October, he stepped down from his leadership position at Andretti Global. That, in concert with the removal of "Andretti" from the team name may have helped facilitate this agreement in principle.
Despite stepping back from the spotlight, the American racing team will remain involved in the F1 effort through its parent company, TWG Global, though the Cadillac brand will be at the forefront. The Andretti family will also remain involved in the effort through Mario Andretti, Michael’s father and the last American to win the F1 driver’s championship (in 1978), who will serve as a director on the team’s board.
“My first love was Formula 1 and now – 70 years later – the F1 paddock is still my happy place,” the elder Andretti said in a statement. “To still be involved at this stage of my life — I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming."
A Cadillac F1 car will compete for the first time in 2026, but it will not race under its own power. For the first year or two, it will have to compete with an engine produced by another team, though which one has not yet been announced. GM is designing its own power unit, though, and previously indicated that it intended to race with it as of 2028.
