After much will they/won't they negotiation, General Motors and TWG Global (owner of Andretti Global, Wayne Taylor Racing and Spire Motorsports) have finally reached an agreement to bring a Cadillac team to Formula 1 in 2026.
This will mark the first new team to join F1 since 2016 and will bring the total number of teams on the grid to eleven. The Cadillac Formula 1 Team plans build its own cars and engines by the end of the decade, making it a full works team.
The team will be led by a board of directors including Mario Andretti, the last American F1 Champion. Andretti expressed his enthusiasm for the project, stating, "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. To still be involved at this stage of my life — I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming."
According to General Motors, the partnership aims to "showcase its engineering expertise and technological leadership on a global stage" and that innovations developed for F1 will contribute to the company's advancements in electrification, powertrain, software, and internal combustion engine technology. The team will also "highlight the Cadillac brand to a diverse international audience."
"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," said GM President Mark Reuss.
"This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM’s engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level."
Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1 welcomed General Motors and Cadillac’s commitment to the project is "an important and positive demonstration of the evolution of our sport."
"We look forward to seeing the progress and growth of this application, certain of the full collaboration and support of all the parties involved," he said, a sentiment echoed by Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA.
“General Motors is a huge global brand and powerhouse in the OEM world and is working with impressive partners," he said in a statement issued by Formula 1.
"I am fully supportive of the efforts made by the FIA, Formula 1, GM and the team to maintain dialogue and work towards this outcome of an agreement in principle to progress this application to bring a GM/Cadillac branded team on the grid for the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship. All parties, including the FIA, will continue to work together to ensure the process progresses smoothly."
The Cadillac Formula 1 Team already has operations in Fishers, Indiana; Charlotte, North Carolina; Warren, Michigan; and Silverstone, England, and has assembled a team to work on aerodynamics, chassis and component development, software, and vehicle dynamics simulation.
GM has a long history in racing, with over 3,000 wins and more than 100 driver and manufacturer championships around the world. TWG Global, in addition to the Cadillac F1 partnership, owns and operates Andretti Global (that competes in IndyCar, Formula E, Extreme E and the Australian Supercar series), Wayne Taylor Racing (IMSA), and Spire Motorsports (NASCAR).