The United States will have a second team in Formula 1 from 2026, when Cadillac Formula 1 will become the eleventh team to enter the sport. The result is a complete 180 for the sport's owner, who was very resistant to the original offer, which was first announced in early 2023.
“As the pinnacle of motorsport, F1 demands ground-breaking innovation and excellence. It is an honor for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world's premier racing series, and we are committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for racing fans around the world,” said GM President Mark Reuss. “This is a global stage for us to showcase GM's engineering expertise and technology leadership at a whole new level.”
Team first, engines later
We'll have to wait until 2028 to see that full technical potential. Even with the upcoming changes to the technical regulations, developing a new hybrid F1 powertrain is much more than a minute's work, let alone a competitive package. Audi has been working on its F1 powertrain since at least 2023, just like Red Bull, which decided to make its combustion engine in-house, like Ferrari or Mercedes, with partner Ford taking care of the electrification.
GM's decision to throw Cadillac's hat into the ring came with the caveat that the powertrain wouldn't be ready until 2028 — two years after the company actually wants to enter the sport. This means that Cadillac F1 will use customer engines from another manufacturer for 2026 and 2027, in this case Ferrari. Starting in 2028, we can expect a GM-designed V6 hybrid under the hoods of the Cadillac F1.
As McLaren has shown this year, customer powertrains are no barrier to success, and Alpine (born Renault) goes so far as to abandon its own in-house powertrain program in favor of customer engines (and most likely a for sale sign as the French automaker is about to exit the sport again).
