The FIA launched a major push for new entrants last year, calling for expressions of interest before launching a more detailed application process. The bid from Andretti was one of four and the only one to receive FIA backing.
Under the Andretti Cadillac plan, the new operation would be based in the US but have a ‘support facility’ in the UK.
Andretti and Cadillac said they would prioritise the appointment of at least one American driver if successful in their bid to compete in F1. The operation is headed by Michael Andretti, a former F1 driver himself and the son of Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 champion and founder of the Andretti Global enterprise.
One already confirmed new F1 entrant is Audi, which from 2026 will apply its branding to the car run by Swiss team Sauber, which was partnered with Alfa Romeo until the end of the 2023 season. Sibling brand Porsche remains interested in entering the sport after scrapping plans to partner with Red Bull Racing.
Andretti Cadillac’s plan was to use an engine supplied by a third party but with technical support from Andretti and GM, which previously partnered to run the Chevrolet team in the 2012 Indycar Series, winning the driver, team and manufacturer titles.
Racing in F1 wouldn’t affect Cadillac’s efforts in endurance racing. The firm has raced successfully in the IMSA Sportscar Champioinship since 2017 and took its efforts global last year year, entering its new V-LMDh racer in the FIA World Endurance Championship, which includes the Le Mans 24 Hours race.
GM president Mark Reuss said when the F1 bid was announced: “General Motors is honoured to team with Andretti Global on this historic moment in racing. We have a long, rich history in motorsports and engineering innovation, and we’re 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.”
