Formula 1 on Monday announced it “reached an agreement in principle” to add a General Motors-partnered team to the grid in 2026.
The 11th team on the grid will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The announcement came on the heels of a successful Las Vegas Grand Prix in which Max Verstappen wrapped up his fourth consecutive title.
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Mercedes driver George Russell leads the field during the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt York)
“As the pinnacle of motorsports, F1 demands boundary-pushing innovation and excellence. It’s an honor for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world’s premier racing series, and we’re committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for race fans around the world,” GM president Mark Reuss said.
“This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM’s engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level.”
The new American team’s approval came following a Department of Justice investigation into why Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of F1, wouldn’t approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti, the son of F1 legend Mario Andretti.
Michael Andretti scaled back his role in the organization so the new team could be run by Towriss and Walter. Mario Andretti suggested to Fox News Digital over the weekend that American approval was coming around the final turn.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen during qualifying for the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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The team will use Ferrari engines for its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition before the start of the 2028 season.
“We’re excited to partner with General Motors in bringing a dynamic presence to Formula 1,” Towriss said. “Together, we’re assembling a world-class team that will embody American innovation and deliver unforgettable moments to race fans around the world.”
There is only one American team on the F1 grid, run by Gene Haas. However, Haas F1hasn’t finished better than fifth in the constructors’ standings since it came onto the track in 2016. The team is currently sixth this season.
There are also no American drivers on the grid as of now. Logan Sargeant was with Williams Racing but was replaced in the middle of the season.
Mario Andretti told Fox News Digital there doesn’t necessarily have to be another American team or driver in the mix, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt.
Mario Andretti ahead of the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 17, 2024. (Gary Mook/For IndyStar/USA Today Network)
“It doesn’t have to be, but I don’t think it would hurt to have more American involvement directly,” he said. “I know Haas has a team there, but I think the important part is the driver is even more important than the team. But another American manufacturer and all that sort of thing, I think, can only add to the interest.
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“Let’s face it, being an international sport as Formula 1 is, when it’s in your own country, (for example) when they’re in Italy, Ferrari is all over. And you like to see it when you’re in America, you’d love to watch Cadillac.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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