F1 Turns Down Andretti Cadillac Team: Will Reconsider When Cadillac Builds Team Engines

Cadillac's hopes of jumping into F1 were put on hold today. F1 says that Andretti Cadillac Team wouldn't be ready to compete.

Formula One says it is rejecting a bid from Andretti Racing and Cadillac to join the racing league. The Andretti GM team had hoped to become the 11th team in F1 in 2025. F1 said in its statement that it doubted that the team would be capable of being competitive in the international racing series by 2025. F1 did say that it may reconsider the team’s request if Cadillac starts building its own engine in 2028. The news was first reported by the Associated Press. Mario Andretti said on X, formerly known as Twitter, “I'm devastated.  I won't say anything else because I can't find any other words besides devastated.” Mario Andretti is the 1978 F1 world champion. Mario’s son Michael competed in 13 races in the 1993 season.

Andretti Team Not Warmly Welcomed by Other Teams

The Andretti Cadillac proposal was encouraged by the head of F1 but other teams seemed reluctant to share the track or the revenue with a newcomer. As I reported in November, Cadillac tried to bolster its bid by announcing that it had registered with F1’s governing body to become an engine supplier starting in 2028. That made the team’s acceptance look more likely because American fans are more interested in the sport now. There are three F1 races in the U.S.  The 2024 races are scheduled for Miami Grand Prix on May 5; the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, on October 20; and the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 23.

F1 says it might reconsider once Cadillac and GM actually start building F1 engines. “We would look differently on an application for the entry of a team into the 2028 championship with a GM power unit, either as a GM works team or as a GM customer team designing all allowable components in-house,” F1 said. “In this case there would be additional factors to consider in respect of the value that the applicant would bring to the championship, in particular in respect of bringing a prestigious new OEM (original equipment manufacturer) to the sport as a PU supplier.”

Andretti Racing Deeply Disappointed by F1’s Ruling

According the Associated Press, “Andretti Cadillac said it “strongly disagrees” with the F1’s review of the application but gave no indication if it will pursue an antitrust lawsuit against Formula One Management or Liberty.”

GM did not respond directly to today’s announcement, but executives reposted the entire Andretti Cadillac response.

“Andretti Cadillac has reviewed the information Formula One Management Limited has shared and strongly disagree with its contents. Andretti and Cadillac are two successful global motorsports organizations committed to placing a genuine American works team in F1, competing alongside the world’s best. We are proud of the significant progress we have already made on developing a highly competitive car and power unit with an experienced team behind it, and our work continues at pace.

Andretti Cadillac would also like to acknowledge and thank the fans who have expressed their support.”

F1 Not Willing to Share its Revenue with New Team

F1 said that the Andretti team stood to gain more than F1 does if the team was allowed to compete.

“While the Andretti name carries some recognition for F1 fans, our research indicates that F1 would bring value to the Andretti brand rather than the other way around,” F1 said in its decision.

“The addition of an 11th team would place an operational burden on race promoters, would subject some of them to significant costs and would reduce the technical, operational and commercial spaces of the other competitors,” F1 said.

GM and Cadillac Engine Already in Development

GM already has started development and testing of prototype technology, and it said building an F1 engine will help the automaker advance in areas including electrification, hybrid technology, sustainable fuels, high efficiency internal combustion engines, advanced controls and software systems.

According to F1, “Major automotive manufacturers have struggled in the past ... (it) can take a manufacturer a number of years of significant investment in order to become competitive,” F1 said. “GM has the resource and credibility to be more than capable of attempting this challenge, but success is not assured.”

Cadillac Photo

Mary Conway is a professional automotive journalist and has decades of experience specializing in automotive news analysis. She covered the Detroit Three for more than twenty years for the ABC affiliate, in Detroit. Her affection for the Motor City comes naturally. Her father ran a gas station while Mary was growing up, in Wisconsin.

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