Formula One fans can expect a new team on the grid for the 2026 season, when the new aerodynamic and power unit regulations go into effect: General Motors and Formula One have reached an agreement in principle to add Cadillac F1 as the 11th team in 2026. This would make it the first all-new team in the series since 2016. Former F1 champion Mario Andretti will serve as the director on the team’s board.
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Cadillac’s entry in Formula 1
GM wants to leverage the Formula 1 stage to showcase its technological prowess to a global audience. “This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM’s engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level,” said GM President Mark Reuss in a statement.
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That make it no surprise that GM is also launching an F1 power unit to put in the car and make it a full “works team,” much like Mercedes and Ferrari. Rumors suggest that in the initial couple of years, the team might use Ferrari engines. Incidentally, another American team, Haas F1, also uses Ferrari engines, and has extended its partnership with the Maranello-based outfit ’til the end of the 2028 season.
Second time’s the charm!
The news of a GM-Cadillac F1 bid did itself come as a surprise, though, especially since Formula One had earlier this year denied Andretti Global and GM’s bid to expand the grid in 2025. General Motors in 2023 had made clear its intentions to join F1 in 2025 with Michael Andretti, Mario’s son.
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How well the Cadillac Formula One team will perform is anyone’s guess, but don’t expect them to be competitive from the word “go.” As an all-new outfit, they do have the advantage of a full year to dedicate to their 2026 title contender, but that may not be a match for the current teams already grinding it out on the race tracks.
The new regulations due in 2026 include reducing the weight of the cars by 30 kg; and increasing the output from the battery of the current hybrid setup. The most interesting change will be the implementation of active aerodynamics with movable front and rear wings for ‘closer’ racing. The internal-combustion units will remain the same — 1.6-litre V6 hybrids with kinetic and heat recovery systems.
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