Andretti and Cadillac make play to enter Formula One

When Andretti announced its bid to enter Formula 1, my immediate speculation was who the power unit supplier would be. It would only make sense for Andretti, an American motorsport competitor, to partner with an American car brand whether that be GM or Ford.

It seems as though Andretti was listening as this morning, General Motors President, Mark Reuss and Michael Andretti announced a partnership on a Formula 1 project under the Cadillac brand.

As some have pointed out, GM has a relationship with Honda in the development of fuel cell and hydrogen tech and has even announced plans of developing affordable electric vehicles based on Ultium battery technology.

With the Red Bull team looking to go in another direction in 2026, Honda is left looking for another partner. Certainly, an Andretti/GM/Honda team or partnership would be positive for Formula 1.

I am a fan of the decision to use the Cadillac brand, too. GM has already committed to running an LMDh program in the World Endurance Championship under the Cadillac marque.

We’ve also seen the FIA announce plans to open up a process for “expressions of interest” just a few days ago.

GM says the program will involve the GM Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, and the GM Racing technical center in Charlotte.

"We are continuing to grow Andretti Global and its family of racing teams and always have our eyes on what’s next," said Andretti. "I feel that we are well suited to be a new team for Formula 1 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. GM and Andretti share a legacy born out of the love of racing. We can now combine our motorsport passions and dedication to innovation to build a true American F1 bid. Together, we will continue to follow procedures and steps put forth by the FIA during the evaluation process. In the meantime, we continue to optimistically prepare should we be fortunate enough to have Andretti Cadillac formally approved as a Formula 1 contender."

"General Motors is honored to team with Andretti Global on this historic moment in racing," Reuss said. "We have a long, rich history in motorsports and engineering innovation. 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.

“Cadillac and F1 both have growing global appeal. Our brand has a motorsports pedigree that’s more than a century in the making, and we would be proud to have the opportunity to bring our distinct American innovation and design to F1."

Are the stars finally aligning for an Andretti entry?