Cadillac has got the green signal from FIA after Formula 1 shut down Andretti's plans to join F1.
Cadillac's Official Render of the 2026 Formula 1 car. [Credits: Twitter/ Formula 1]
Formula 1 took the community by storm when they announced that Cadillac will be joining the grid as an 11th team in 2026. The highly anticipated move has come to fullfillment. Formula 1 has not had an 11th team on the grid for a long time. The year 2026 is going to be a big one for the Formula 1 organisation and community as a whole. The newer regulations for 2026 and the addition of two new teams, (technically one as Audi is taking over Sauber), means Formula 1 might experience some radical changes in leaderboards.
The dominance started by Mercedes and later taken over by Red Bull in the turbo-hybrid era finally seems to be coming to an end. The 2024 season saw multiple drivers win more than one race. TWG Motorsports and General Motors are going to run the Cadillac Formula 1 team in 2026.
Cadillac Approved for 2026
Cadillac will join as a works team in 2026 after General Motors and Formula 1 reached an agreement for the same in 2024. The team is going to be the second American team on the grid after Haas (hopefully more competitive than them). Cadillac and General Motors plan on becoming an independent works team in Formula 1 with GM supplying power units to their cars. However, it is an established fact that GM will be able to provide power units earliest by the 2028 season.
These factors have coerced GM into making a deal with Ferrari for their power units. When it comes to Ferrari, they are obviously among the top teams of the grid. However, their only power unit customers, Haas and Sauber are back-markers. It would be very early to judge the performance of Cadillac on the basis of their power unit selection. Cadillac might even end up better than Ferrari using their own power units. Similar to McLaren, who have been consistently producing better results than Mercedes’s factory team by using their own power units.
Although, Andretti Autosport faced rejection from Formula 1 in their bid to join the grid. The reason being, GM’s inability to provide a power unit anytime before the 2028 season. But, the Cadillac team, backed by GM, will now compete in Formula 1 in 2026 without their own power unit.
Andretti’s Role in the Cadillac Formula 1 Project
Michael Andretti has stepped down from his role as the CEO of Andretti Autosport previously in 2024. His father and former Formula 1 champion, Mario Andretti is a part of the board of directors overseeing the Cadillac Formula 1 project. He was highly dissatisfied and shocked after Formula 1 closed the door for Andretti Autosport’s entry. He let his disappointment known publicly on his X handle. But, Mario Andretti has emphasised in an exclusive interview with Motorsports.com that his son’s unfulfilled dream won’t be an issue for the upcoming team. Mario Andretti did comment on the coincidence of their approval and his son’s departure from the team, “There seemed to be some personal things there that personally, I still do not understand.”
I'm devastated. I won't say anything else because I can't find any other words besides devastated. pic.twitter.com/UaFBC5n9qF
Initially, the Andretti Autosport team spearheaded the addition of a new team to Formula 1. They were more than eager to bring their expertise in other motorsports like IndyCar to Formula 1. However, Andretti Autosport faced rejection on the grounds that the team would not provide any value to the series and the addition of Andretti Autosport is not going to work out. This news created chaos among fans and Formula 1 pundits alike. In a Sky Sports exclusive, Craig Slater commented on the news. He claimed that, according to official sources that Andretti were considered fit to compete in races by the FIA. The rejection of the team was purely on commercial grounds.
Martin Brundle himself was very supportive of the idea of having even 12 teams on the grid. The biggest setback was for Michael Andretti and Andretti Autosport, who had even started wind tunnel testing and mass recruitment of staff.
Andretti Autosport’s Initial Plans for Formula 1
Andretti Autosport and its head, Michael Andretti had his eyes set on the Formula 1 grid for a long time. It would be a crime to say Andretti lacks the experience necessary for Formula 1. After all, they have a budding IndyCar program and both Michael Andretti and Mario Andretti are former Formula 1 champions.
Initially, Andretti Autosport wanted to take over the Alfa Romeo team in 2021. They turned into Kick Sauber from 2022. Audi is going to run the team from 2026. After this failed bid, Andretti Autosport decided that they wanted to field a separate team in Formula 1. As such, Andretti started campaigning for his Formula 1 dream. Michael Andretti made his presence known in the Formula 1 grid multiple times, including talks with FIA chief, Mohammed Ben Sulayem
The biggest hurdle for Andretti Autosport was the Concorde Agreement. The 10 Formula 1 teams signed this secret agreement for the duration of 2021-2025. This agreement required Andretti Autosport to procure a whopping $200 million in order to join the grid as a separate team. Why? Because, the teams would face a loss of profit with the addition of a new contender and thus, they needed the newcomer to pay for the dissolution of profits. Arguably, none of the team principals were keen on bringing Andretti to the grid, except McLaren’s head of operations, Zak Brown.
Did Andretti Manage to Find a Way Inside Formula 1 Even With Their Earlier Setback?
Fast forward to today, we are seeing another Andretti among the board of directors and it can be considered a cue for what’s about to come. Colton Herta is among the favorite drivers for the American outfit’s 2026 entry. Herta was a possible driver for Andretti Autosport and their 2024 operations. He is also the star driver for Andretti Autosport in their IndyCar program. This means that Andretti are still working behind the scenes with Cadillac and trying not to attract a lot of attention to themselves.
Michael Andretti’s ambitions were a no-go for other Formula 1 teams. Autosport explained the stance of the Formula 1 teams in one of their videos. The current regulations distribute the total prize money to teams on the basis of their standings in the constructor’s championship. The addition of an 11th team on the grid would lead to dilution of profits and these teams would receive less prize money. The apprehension of other Formula 1 teams had only one excuse and it was the fact they have been in the game for a long time and they would not want to lose their share of money. That’s where the Concorde agreement came in and asked the new team to pay the burden.
Among the team principals, only McLaren and Alpine were keen on letting Michael Andretti join the grid. Alpine was vaguely supportive because Andretti Autosport initially planned on using Renault’s power units. Brown himself said that, “I think the teams that may not support another team are being short-sighted. Are we trying to grow the sport? Or are we doing what racing teams have a bad tendency to do, which is think about today and not the future.” Toto Wolff and Christian Horner agreed on something for once and unanimously claimed that Michael Andretti’s team would need to “prove their worth” in order to join Formula 1 and its not just about the “money”.
Only time will tell, if Andretti and their plans to start a Formula 1 program will come to fruition. Until then, what do you think, will old man Andretti turn the tables on Formula 1 and surprise them with a takeover of Cadillac? Or has he given up? And, is there a possibility of another Formula 1 team joining the grid as a 12th team after the current scenario.
I work as a Writer at The Playoffs specialising in NHL, Formula 1 and Motorsports. I got into online journalism a couple of years ago. I used to be an intern for a website managing their Formula 1 content and then I served an entire year as a contractual writer.
For me, online journalism was not something I expected. I am a Mechanical Engineer aiming to join Formula 1. At the same time, I am a poet, writer and my university’s Literary Club Lead. One day the dots connected together and I realised I could use my writing skills to convey my passion for Motorsports.
The biggest aspects I love about my role are- Scuderia Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel. When I am not fawning over them I like to convey my opinions to the public, in a manner which helps them gain a new point of view. I love helping people explore new ideas about Motorsports and obviously get recognised as a writer all over the world.
Message to Readers: I promise you one day you’ll see me managing operations on track with a Formula 1 team ; )
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