Cadillac will enter Formula One in partnership with Andretti Global, marking General Motors’ first foray into the series.
GM and Andretti on Thursday announced the formation of Andretti Cadillac, an F1 team that will be based in the US with a support facility in the UK, but did not discuss a timeline for entering the competition.
“We are excited at the prospect of working with Andretti Global to form an American F1 team that will help generate even more global interest in the series and the sport,” said GM President Mark Reuss in a statement .
2022 Miami Grand Prix
Andretti Global is the parent company of Andretti Autosport, the racing team of Michael Andretti, son of the legendary Mario Andretti. Mario Andretti remains the only American to win an F1 title, a feat he accomplished with Lotus in 1978. Michael had a less successful F1 career, lasting less than a season with McLaren.
Andretti Autosport currently field teams in IndyCar and Formula E and is a partner in Extreme E and Australian Supercars teams. However, the Andretti family has been trying to expand into Formula 1 for some time. In early 2022, Michael Andretti applied to join the series in 2024 with a new team. He had previously reportedly considered buying an existing team, possibly Williams, Alfa Romeo or Haas, the only team currently based in the US Netz.
The move to create a new American F1 team comes as the series, owned by US-based company Liberty Media, looks to expand its presence in the US. In 2022, F1 added a second US race with the Miami and Las Vegas Grands Prix scheduled to return to the F1 calendar in 2023.
2023 Cadillac V-LMDh race car
Andretti and GM last teamed up to bring Chevrolet back to IndyCar racing in 2012, winning the Drivers, Teams and Manufacturers titles that year. Andretti has since switched to Honda power for his IndyCar team.
Cadillac’s rise to F1 comes after some three decades of sportscar racing in the United States, first in the Pirelli World Challenge, then in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, where the luxury marque claimed multiple victories and championships with its DPi-VR Daytona Prototype International racers.
Cadillac is poised to continue IMSA racing under new regulations with the V-LMDh hybrid prototype and will also return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.