The long-awaited entry of Cadillac into Formula One was finally approved by the sport’s management, bringing the total number of participating teams for the upcoming season to eleven. Before developing its engines, Cadillac, a division of the American automaker General Motors, will be supported by TWG Motorsports and powered by Ferrari.
The decision follows F1’s initial rejection of the US team Andretti’s application last year, which was led by former driver Michael Andretti, the son of Mario Andretti, who won the world championship in 1978. Mario is expected to be involved as an advisor, even though the Andretti name is no longer associated with the undertaking.
“The FIA and Formula One can confirm that, following the completion of their respective sporting, technical, and commercial assessments, the application by General Motors and TWG Motorsports to bring a Cadillac team to the FIA Formula One World Championship from 2026 has been approved,” reads the joint statement issued by the FIA and Formula One. The other 10 teams had largely been against the introduction of a new outfit because of the dilution of prize money.
However, it is common knowledge that Cadillac’s desire to establish itself as a full-fledged team, commitment to developing its power unit in the future, and substantial financial support from General Motors was too appealing for the sport to resist. Due to the sport’s Netflix series Drive to Survive, whose seventh season premiered on Friday, and the growing number of American races, F1’s presence in the United States has increased significantly in recent seasons. This year’s events will take place in Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas. It is anticipated that at least one Cadillac driver will be from the United States. The British driver Graeme Lowdon will lead the team, which will be based in Silverstone. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who has called for more teams and clashed with F1 over Andretti’s initial proposal, said: “Today marks a transformative moment, and I am proud to lead the Federation in this progressive step for the championship.
Significantly, the FIA Formula One Championship will include an eleventh team in 2026. By the brand-new FIA 2026 regulations, GM/Cadillac ushers in an exciting new era for the sport. “Future competitors and fans alike will be inspired by the Cadillac Formula One Team’s presence in the paddock.” Their participation helps us achieve our objective of making motorsports more competitive at the highest level. F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali said: “As we said in November, the commitment by General Motors to bring a Cadillac team to Formula One was an important and positive demonstration of the evolution of our sport.
“I would like to express my gratitude to GM and TWG for their helpful engagement over many months.” “I look forward to welcoming the team on the grid beginning in 2026 for what will be another exciting year for Formula One,” the driver stated. Sunday marks the beginning of the first round of the new 24-round season in Melbourne.