It’s official: Cadillac will enter F1 in 2026

Formula 1 is about to get a fresh start in 2026 as General Motors and Cadillac finally take their 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 US car giant during the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend.

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The origins of the new team began with Andretti, which applied to join F1 in 2023 and later cooperated with General Motors to operate under the name Cadillac Racing. However, the series’ commercial rights holder Formula One Management (FOM) rejected the bid in January and raised questions about the team’s competitiveness. Since then, Andretti and GM have continued to invest heavily in the F1 program, with Michael Andretti recently handing over day-to-day operations to Dan Towriss.

READ: GM, Andretti developing F1 car despite rejection

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Although Cadillac Racing will no longer use Andretti’s name, Mario Andretti retains a directorship on the team’s board of directors. Behind the scenes, GM’s key partner TWG Global plays a key role, further linking the project to Andretti Global, the parent company of Michael Andretti’s racing empire.

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The news follows a major power shift at F1 parent company Liberty Media. Outgoing CEO John Malone was one of the key figures in rejecting Andretti’s initial bid. According to NBC, Marrone has said he will do whatever it takes to “make sure Michael (Andretti) never enters Formula One.” Malone will step down at the end of this year.

In the 2026 and 2027 seasons, GM will run customer engines before launching its own engines in 2028. It’s unclear which existing engine manufacturer the auto giant will rely on in 2026 and 2027.

“As the pinnacle of motorsport, Formula 1 demands boundary-pushing innovation and excellence. General Motors and Cadillac are proud to be a part of the world’s premier racing series, and we are committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for racing fans around the world level,” said General Motors President Mark Reuss. “This is our global stage to demonstrate GM engineering expertise and technology leadership at a new level.”

Behind the scenes, GM and Cadillac wasted no time in assembling a team. Since early 2023, the business has focused on aerodynamics, chassis development, vehicle dynamics simulation and software engineering, with operations in Indiana, North Carolina and England. The groundwork is being laid for the debut.

“My first love was Formula 1 and today, 70 years later, the F1 paddock is still my happy place,” said Mario Andretti. “I’m so excited about Cadillac, Formula 1, Mark Walter and Dan Torres. To still be involved at this stage in my life – I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming.”

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