General Motors plans to enter Formula One with its Cadillac brand in 2026 after announcing on Monday an agreement in principle with the Liberty Media-owned sport.
Hailing a landmark move to become the 11th team on the starting grid, the carmaker said it had also registered with the governing FIA as a power unit manufacturer to become a full works outfit by the end of the decade.
They will be the first new team since U.S.-owned Haas debuted in 2016 and GM the sixth engine maker after Audi, Ferrari, Honda, Mercedes, and Red Bull/Ford.
GM will partner with TWG Global and Mario Andretti — the last U.S. world champion in 1978 — will serve as a director on the team’s board.
“My first love was Formula One and now, 70 years later, the F1 paddock is still my happy place,” said Andretti in a Cadillac statement.
“To still be involved at this stage of my life; I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming.”
General Motors bosses were at the Las Vegas Grand Prix last weekend to put the seal on a project that was rejected by Formula One last January despite FIA approval.
“With Formula One’s continued growth plans in the U.S., we have always believed that welcoming an impressive U.S. brand like GM/Cadillac to the grid and GM as a future power unit supplier could bring additional value and interest to the sport,” said Liberty Media’s outgoing CEO Greg Maffei.
“We credit the leadership of General Motors and their partners with significant progress in their readiness to enter Formula One.
“We are excited to move forward with the application process for the GM/Cadillac team to enter the Championship in 2026.”
FIA SUPPORT
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who was an early backer of an Andretti bid and has continued to push behind the scenes to get a deal over the line, expressed full support for the latest development.
“All parties, including the FIA, will continue to work together to ensure the process progresses smoothly,” he said in a statement.
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