Cadillac Racing Is Headed To F1 As A New 11th Team

Formula 1 spent the weekend in Las Vegas for its last of three races on US soil this weekend, and it produced some huge news: we'll be getting an 11th team on the grid with GM joining the sport with its Cadillac brand.

So, that means another American team — a truly American team (sorry, Haas; you guys are still great) — will be in the F1 fold, as will one of the world's biggest automakers.

The rumor mill was churning over the Grand Prix weekend, and GM made it somewhat official by announcing that it had reached an "agreement in principle" to join the grid in 2026, a season that will also see the addition of new regulations, new power unit manufacturers (including GM rival Ford, which has a partnership with Red Bull Powertrains), and Audi taking over the team known as Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber.

Cadillac already has a presence in sports car racing and they'll be getting a presence in F1 come 2026. (Photo by Qian Jun/MB Media/Getty Images)

The deal is a partnership between GM and TWG Global, which owns and operates Andretti Global.

While GM's statement announcing the agreement makes no mention of Michael Andretti it did announce that his father and 1878 Formula 1 champ Mario Andretti will be involved with the team as a director on the team's board.

"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," Andretti said in a statement. "To still be involved at this stage of my life — I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming."

The team will have operations in Fishers, Indiana; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Warren, Michigan which is awesome and means more F1 jobs on US soil. Additionally, the team will have some operations in the UK in Silverstone.

But wait… there's more!

Cadillac will have to start as a customer team for their first two seasons, but they'll be a full works team in 2028 once GM has the time to develop its own power unit.

It wasn't the prettiest road to get here — I mean, the US Congress and Department of Justice got involved at one point — but Cadillac is headed to F1, and it's a big win for everyone.

I'm very excited about this, and if you're an F1 fan you probably are too. 

Getting a major US automaker on the grid like this is a major win for the sport as it continues to grow.