It’s been months since Cadillac and General Motors announced that they would be a part of the 2026 F1 grid but the silence has been deafening since. That’s because the deal, although agreed upon in principle, is still not fully complete and there is a chance that F1 rejects the American stable’s entry, yet again.
So far, Cadillac has crossed just one hurdle and there is a lot left for them to do, to avoid a rejection.
Initially, the Cadillac name was set to enter F1 hand-in-hand with Andretti Global. However, despite their best efforts, neither Liberty Media nor the existing teams in F1 wanted them on board. They simply didn’t see how much value Andretti would bring to the high-stakes world of F1, where money is one of — if not the — most important thing.
That’s when the Andretti name took a step back. The UK-based company, which was called Andretti Racing Limited, also changed its name to Cadillac Formula Racing Limited.
BREAKING: Formula 1 has reached an agreement in principle with General Motors to support bringing GM/Cadillac in as the 11th team to the Formula 1 grid in 2026#F1 #QatarGP pic.twitter.com/9HFGpij4GO
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) November 25, 2024
Michael Andretti, who had led this project for a long time, also had to step away from the spotlight completely, with only his father and former F1 champion Mario being a non-executive director for this hopefully soon-to-be F1 team. This made the process smoother, allowing the Formula One Management and FIA to give them the green light, at least for the time being.
Currently, the FIA is reviewing the revised proposal, making sure that the changed terms and General Motors’ role lives up to the promises made when they first shook hands on a deal for a spot on the 2026 grid. Plus, they are also wary of authorities in America intervening, to assess why Andretti and Cadillac were rejected in the first place.
Once the FIA signs this off, it is up to Cadillac to pay $450 million to F1, a figure which will be distributed among the current teams as compensation for taking a future share of the overall prize money, as reported by The Race. That’s when Cadillac and GM’s entry will officially be confirmed.
Why was Michael Andretti removed from the project?
Andretti Global, led by former F1 driver Michael Andretti, is a major force in the U.S., with success in IndyCar and other national series. However, when Andretti aimed to expand into F1, many top teams questioned how it would benefit the sport.
F1’s prize money is a fixed pool, shared among the 10 teams based on their championship standings. Adding an 11th team would mean splitting the money further, so existing teams wanted assurances that the overall prize fund would grow.
Andretti’s proposal did not satisfy them, which is why his dream came to a halt. Cadillac took it forward, but it came at the cost of Michael’s family name taking a back seat in this venture.
For American motorsports, however, having a homegrown team in F1, one that will also have its own power units by 2028, will be a huge matter of pride.
