Andretti-Cadillac F1 bid takes a critical step

The proposed new Formula 1 team, a partnernership between Andretti Autosport and General Motors, has taken a critical step towards joining the grid.

Following a decision in October by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), F1’s governing body, to advance the proposed Andretti-Cadillac bid out of the initial stage of evaluation and into the next phase, General Motors announced today that they have formally registered with the FIA as a power unit manufacturer starting in the 2028 season.

In a statement to the media, including SB Nation, Mark Reuss, the President of GM, indicated that he was “thrilled” with the news.

“We are thrilled that our new Andretti Cadillac F1 entry will be powered by a GM power unit,” said Reuss. “With our deep engineering and racing expertise, we’re confident we’ll develop a successful power unit for the series, and position Andretti Cadillac as a true works team. We will run with the very best, at the highest levels, with passion and integrity that will help elevate the sport for race fans around the world.”

The statement also indicated that work on a power unit is already underway at GM. In addition, the statement noted how that work will further the company’s prowess in a number of areas. “Engineering a F1 power unit will advance GM’s expertise in areas including electrification, hybrid technology, sustainable fuels, high efficiency internal combustion engines, advanced controls, and software systems.”

Following the decision by FIA to approve the Andretti-Cadillac bid, the next stage is a review by Formula One Management (FOM) of the proposed 11th team, which includes discussions with commercial partners.

The proposed Andretti-Cadillac bid has been met with some resistance from teams already on the grid, with both Toto Wolff of Mercedes and James Vowles of Williams the most vocal. But with the continued expansion of the sport worldwide — and Andretti-Cadillac set up as a true “American” team, as Michael Andretti noted when the bid was announced — it might be hard for FOM to pass on the addition of a new team.

Andretti-Cadillac is hoping to join F1 for either the 2025 or the 2026 season, which means they will need to find a power unit supplier for the first two years until the GM power units are ready for the 2028 season. Reporting from last month indicated that an agreement which was in place with Renault had lapsed, and may not be renewed.

However, under F1’s sporting regulations there are provisions under which a team may have the option of requesting a supply from one of the manufacturers that is supplying the fewest customer teams.

Still, today’s news is a massive step towards Andretti-Cadillac becoming the first truly American team on the F1 grid.