Andretti Global and General Motors have teamed up in an effort to engage Formula one mesh under the Cadillac brand, the group announced on Thursday. The move could put the two US powerhouses on the grid in the future, though it still needs approval from both F1 and racing’s governing body, the FIA.
Michael Andretti, son of Mario, the 1978 F1 champion, last year announced his desire to join F1 in the future, but current teams are reluctant to welcome the 11th team into the net. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem kicked off the new year by confirming that the racing governing body has opened the process of finding a new team in the future.
On Thursday, Andretti and General Motors confirmed plans to join an “all-American” team in response to the FIA’s call. Any new entry will not officially enter F1 until 2026 at the earliest. It is understood that there have been some expressions of interest from other parties, meaning Cadillac’s entry is not the only one. reviewed by F1 and the FIA.
The potential Cadillac group will primarily operate out of the Andretti Global headquarters currently under construction in Fishers, Indiana, with a satellite facility in Europe where all 10 of the groups are currently located.
It is not yet clear which engine manufacturer will power the team, although GM president Mark Reuss said a deal has been struck if their bid is successful.
“We had a signed agreement with an electrical equipment supplier to get started, and then as we moved forward, we brought a lot of our expertise to create things that for the future.
Andretti managed to get into F1 ahead of the 2022 season by taking over the Sauber team, which has signed a future partnership with Audi for 2026 and beyond.
Andretti planned to include American IndyCar driver Colton Herta in the Sauber takeover and he has confirmed that he still wants a homegrown driver if the Cadillac move is successful.
Andretti told the media on Thursday: “We definitely plan to have an American driver.
“Colton, we currently have a contract with IndyCar. We want to make this all-American effort to make sure we have an American driver in the seat.”
It is understood that there have been many expressions of interest in joining the F1 network from other potential groups in recent weeks and months.
An F1 statement read: “There is a lot of interest in the F1 project at this time with some conversations still ongoing that are not as visible as others.
“We all want to make sure that the championship remains reliable and stable, and any new registration requests will be evaluated against criteria to meet those goals by all parties. related. Any new registration request requires the consent of both F1 and the FIA.”
Andretti believes the combination of his team and the Cadillac brand has the potential to add value to the sport and meet the criteria set by F1’s governing body.
“We feel very confident that once interest is expressed, especially given our great partnership with Cadillac, we will have a very good opportunity to test everything out,” he said. box and may be on the market soon.
“One of the big things is, what does Andretti bring to the party? Well, we’re bringing one of the biggest manufacturers in the world to us at GM and Cadillac, so it’s a box that we’re in. didn’t test that we have now tested and will bring tremendous support to Formula 1 and it’s hard for anyone to argue about that right now.”
