Formula 1 expands grid as General Motors to become the 11th team in 2026
Formula One announced Monday that “an agreement in principle” has been reached “with General Motors to support bringing GM/Cadillac” to the grid as the sport’s 11th team in 2026.
“We’re excited to partner with General Motors in bringing a dynamic presence to Formula 1,” Dan Towriss, CEO of TWG Global’s motorsport business, said. “Together, we’re assembling a world-class team that will embody American innovation and deliver unforgettable moments to race fans around the world. We appreciate the FIA and FOM’s support of our application and their recognition of the value we can bring to the championship.’’
“General Motors and Cadillac’s commitment to this project is an important and positive demonstration of the evolution of our sport,” said F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali. We look forward to seeing the progress and growth of this entry, certain of the full collaboration and support of all the parties involved.”
This comes after news broke during the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend that General Motors was nearing approval to join the grid in 2026. Andretti Global initially put forward the bid, which included GM building its power unit in 2028, but F1 rejected it. Still, the project continued.
Andretti has undergone restructuring recently, with Michael Andretti leaving his operational role and Dan Towriss taking over.
It seemed the grid may be open to welcoming GM, based on comments made during Thursday’s news conference. Mercedes’ Toto Wolff said, “We have an obligation, a statutory obligation as directors to present the standpoint that is the best for our company and for our employees, and we’ve done that so in the past. I think if a team can add to the championship, particularly if GM decides to come in as a team owner, that is a different story. And as long as it is creative, that means we’re growing the popularity of the sport, we’re growing the revenue of the sport, then no team will be ever against it. So I’m putting my hope in there.”
What it means
A prominent American manufacturer with an extensive motorsports history joining the grid could bring fresh eyes to the sport, but it also means the prize money will be split up even more. This will be the first team to join the grid since Haas in 2016, and the sport has had 10 teams on the grid since 2017. F1 has said before that it was open to a GM works team. When it rejected Andretti’s big, F1 said it “would look differently on an application for the entry of a team into the 2028 championship with a GM power unit, either as a GM works team or as a GM customer team designing all allowable components in-house.”
However, GM will need another customer power unit. It planned to have its F1 engine ready in 2028, two years into the new regulations. New teams joining the grid must add something, which GM does by becoming an engine manufacturer.
The plan is still for GM to enter through its Cadillac brand. According to F1’s press release, “Over the course of this year, they have achieved operational milestones and made clear their commitment to brand the eleventh team GM/Cadillac, and that GM will enter as an engine supplier at a later time.”
There will still be Andretti involvement, though it remains to be seen how much. GM’s announcement includes the news that Mario Andretti, the last American F1 world champion, will be on the team’s board, serving as the director.
“My first love was Formula 1, and now – 70 years later – the F1 paddock is still my happy place. I’m absolutely thrilled with Cadillac, Formula 1, Mark Walter, and Dan Towriss,” Andretti said in the announcement. “To still be involved at this stage of my life — I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming.”
According to GM’s press release, the other power player involved is TWG Global, which is a holding company that “owns and operates” Andretti Global. As for the Department of Justice’s investigation into F1’s Andretti rejection, what will happen remains to be seen.
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(Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)