General Motors and Andretti Global have announced a new partnership that would unite the two American companies in a bid to compete in the FIA Formula One (F1) World Championship. Represented by Cadillac, the Andretti team would be based in the U.S. with backing from a facility in the U.K.
Andretti Racing
As reference, Andretti Global is a successful auto racing team that completes in several top-tier racing series worldwide. Recently, the company has been extremely successful in the IndyCar racing series, with four different championships.
For its part, Cadillac has also been successful in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Pirelli World Challenge. Currently, the luxury marque fields the all-new Cadillac Racing V-LMDh hybrid, which is set to compete in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship.
Cadillac Racing V-LMDh
“We are continuing to grow Andretti Global and its family of racing teams and always have our eyes on what’s next,” stated Andretti Global Chairman and CEO Michael Andretti. “I feel very strongly that we are suited to be a new team for Formula One and can bring value to the series and our partners, and excitement for the fans. I’m proud to have GM and Cadillac alongside us as we pursue this goal … In the meantime, we continue to optimistically prepare should we be fortunate enough to have Andretti Cadillac formally approved as a Formula One contender.”
“General Motors is honored to team with Andretti Global on this historic moment in racing,” Mark Reuss, GM President, was quoted as saying. “We have a long, rich history in motorsports and engineering innovation, and we are thrilled with the prospect of pairing with Andretti Global to form an American F1 team that will help spur even more global interest in the series and the sport.”
The last time General Motors and Andretti worked together was during Chevy’s return to the NTT IndyCar Series in 2012, where the companies earned nine wins over the span of two seasons. This partnership also yielded Driver, Team and Manufacturer titles in 2012.
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Comments
Interesting. I wonder who GM will partner with for the engine if Andretti is finally approved for an F1 team?
The assumption is they will initially partner with Honda to re-brand the Honda power unit as a Cadillac, while possibly developing their own unit. Honda has already made it clear that they are willing to license their power unit to other companies. Additionally, GM/Cadillac already has an agreement with Honda for developing electric road cars, and Andretti has been aligned with Honda in Indy Cars for years.
Won’t that be a strange “marriage” since Honda and Chevrolet are direct competitors in INDYCAR ( which is much more entertaining than the usual “parade” after the first two laps in F1 ) ? At least Andretti, if the Euro F1 team owners and the Arab running the FIA approve it, will probably use an American driver, unlike Haas, since they already have Colton Herta under contract. I think the F1 “clique” will continue to balk at having more than their present 20 car field and will find another excuse to exclude Andretti.
A strange marriage, not at all. As I said, GM and Honda already have an EV road car development agreement in place. Besides Cadillac currently has a deal with Ganassi for IMSA, while at the same time racing Honda’s in Indy Car. How would it be any different for Andretti?
I think it would be great to see another American driver (besides Logan Sargeant) in F1, it’s a shame but I don’t think it will be Herta. By the time Andretti F1 is up and running Herta will be 27 or 28, which is pretty old anymore to be stepping into an F1 car, especially for someone with little experience on F1 circuits, and none in an F1 car.
Probably Renault.
I have heard Renault and now Honda could supply the engines.
Now GM and Andretti both have relations with Dallara for a chassis..
GM could use goth the customer engine and chassis till F1 makes changes to non ice.
I expect Hybrid would be next due to range issues and full electric once they solve that.
As for predictions the experts are Al, over the place from never, 2035 to sooner than expected.
With F1 one can never predict. Much will depend on development and push from mfgs.
This may have caught a few of guard. Many names were connected to the Andretti effort but Cadillac and GM were never mentioned.
It will be important to get this right if they plan to do this for both the team and GM. We have seen some great names and companies fail here like Stewart Jaguar.
This is also an indication Cadillac is aiming for a new global relaunch. They would not join this series for North American sales only.
Well lets hope they get it right this time.
So they’re getting involved in F1, meanwhile abandoning ICE engines and will be all electric in 7 years?
Eventually F1 will be going electric too.
That is likely why they are getting involved.
F1’s not going electric anytime soon. They just approved completely new turbo V6, ICE, hybrid power unit regulations for the 2026 season, that will be in effect at least into early the next decade.
As an F1 fan, a GM fan, a Cadillac owner, and someone who’s been involved in racing for much of the last 40 years, I’m thrilled to see GM/Cadillac getting involved in F1. But this just goes to show the hypocrisy, and total lunacy of the people in power at GM and Cadillac. While they’re telling us how evil ICE powered vehicles are, and how important it is to convert the world over to EV’s, they’re investing millions of dollars to become involved in an ICE powered racing series, and develop an ICE V6 racing power unit. It might make some sense if Cadillac had or planned on having hybrid vehicles in the future, but GM has made it very clear that they have no interest in hybrids (except maybe for the C8), and believe EV is the only answer.
Most racing series are now targeting a move over as technology develops.
The reason why? Because the mfgs want to market it.
We already have hybrid systems and they will transform as ranges increase or charging speeds up.
There is no real time line yet but their are land mark goals.
I am involved with a company that is involved with various forms of racing and this is what we are faced with.
Teams hate it and there is still much to work out but the mfgs are forcing it.
I was with a Ford Funny Car Team last summer and heard their thoughts on what Fords goals were and they were not impressed.
Their driver raced a Mustang that was electric. It was fast but it was like watching a RC car run.
NASCAR is going Hybrid soon then EV at some point at the request of mfgs.
The performance parts mfgs are all scrambling to find where they will fit in to this.
My take is GM is getting involved now to establish a presence and will be ready for the conversation.
I too wonder if GM is willing to spend the money needed and to stick with this as long as it will take. To do their own chassis is going to be a learning curve but going to a chassis company would leave them at a possible disadvantage vs in house programs.
They really should see if they can learn to compete at Le Mans first.
With the new management in F1 about anything is on the table.
I think Cadillac jumping in now may also have to do with how difficult it is to get in. This is still not a sure thing yet as Andretti still has some work to do on getting in. You have to take an opening when it presents its self.
Ridiculous.
1. GM management does not have the stomach for a multi-year, cubic dollar budgetary commitment to F1.
2. Their public race away from ICEs and toward BEVs will a) batter their profitability and cause widespread budget cuts and b) collide spectacularly with F1’s foundation in ICEs, even if the F1 power trains are “electrified”.
3. They apparently have not been watching Haas demonstrate how difficult and expensive it is to break into F1 from North America.
4. Michael Andretti is a much better whiner than winner. Choose a different horse, GM, if you want to run with the big boys.
GM’s $$$ will come from China where their sales are huge.
Let’s face it, if you’re going to sell a $300,000 car you need to start playing in the deep end of the pool. It’s time Cadillac steps up and gets involved with a race series that actually draws a crowd.
So many interesting sub plots to watch. Chevrolet Racing has to do everything for Cadillac right now I wonder when the breast feeding finally curtails. Will Chevy / Ilmor have to engineer a power unit for Cadillac? If the board thought JDN was spending too much money to rebuild Cadillac wait till they get the bill for an F1 team! God knows Mary Smith doesn’t have the stomach for this venture. The plug may be pulled faster than the Blackwing engine!
Who is Mary Smith?
It takes many many years and many many dollars just to be a back marker in F1, good luck GM
Full disclosure: I am a huge F1 fan
I don’t see the upside for GM.
$300,000,000 + annually to field an F1 team and it’s a major distraction from GM’s core business.
Barra is the best CEO in 50+ years at GM but should stick to the “plan”.
China sales will more than pay the tab.
Just gonna throw this out there. I’m thinking there’s “no-way” Cadillac -OR- GM have the deep pockets to go F1 racing. “No – way!”
Ferrari sales are a rounding error compared to GM so they have the capital the question remains what is the benefit to the shareholders?
China sales will pay the tab.
Aside from all the Escalade in F1 jokes, I just hope GM does not embarrass itself (and the U.S.) in the process. My first impression is that GM is way out of its league in F1. I hope GM proves me wrong!
Its getting crowded in F1.
Audi, VW’s subsidiary, is taking over the Sauber team, which is currently racing branded as Alfa Romeo.
Porsche tried and failed to take over Red Bull.
The most recent is that Ford is allying themselves with the Red Bull team, giving the name and providing expertise in electrical and other engine components.
What about Stellantis? The Alfa Romeo brand wll vanish from F1.
OTOH, Maserati is increasing their racing activities, with a Formula E team, and developing racing versions of their MC20 sports car, for privateer, amateur racers. When will they reconnect to Maseratis fame in Grand Prix raceing fo the 1950ies?
its getting crowded in Formula 1, with more and more automobile manufacturers are entering the series