F1 · F1 Grid · Silverstone, United Kingdom, UK · Cadillac F1 Headquarters
Cadillac Formula 1 Team
Formula 1's 11th team is the product of Michael Andretti's relentless campaign for an entry, General Motors' manufacturing ambition, and the bet that American automotive royalty can compete in Europe's most demanding racing series.
2022–2025
The Campaign for Entry
Andretti's fight against the establishment
The saga began in earnest in 2022 when Andretti Global, led by Michael Andretti, the son of 1978 Formula One World Champion Mario Andretti, formally applied to the FIA for entry as the eleventh team on the Formula One grid. Michael Andretti had already built one of the most successful operations in American open-wheel racing through Andretti Autosport, winning multiple IndyCar championships and the Indianapolis 500. The leap to Formula One was the logical next step for a family whose name is synonymous with racing excellence.
What followed was one of the most contentious battles in the sport's recent history. While the FIA initially expressed support for the application, the existing ten teams and Formula One Management, led by CEO Stefano Domenicali, were far less welcoming. The teams argued that an eleventh entry would dilute their share of the sport's prize money without bringing sufficient value, and several team principals were openly hostile to the bid. The opposition was both financial and political, with many in the paddock questioning whether Andretti had the resources and infrastructure to compete at the highest level.
The breakthrough came when General Motors committed to the project through its Cadillac brand, fundamentally changing the calculus. A manufacturer of GM's stature brought credibility, resources, and the promise of a bespoke power unit that addressed the sport's desire for more manufacturer involvement. The FIA approved the entry, and after extended negotiations with Formula One Management over the commercial terms, the Cadillac F1 team was confirmed. Michael Andretti stepped back from a leadership role during the process, with the team evolving from an Andretti-led venture into a GM/Cadillac works operation, though the Andretti family's contribution in making the entry possible remained undeniable.
The political battle had been bruising and at times ugly, with public accusations of gatekeeping and anti-competitive behavior. But the outcome was a vindication of persistence: Formula One would have an American manufacturer team for the first time since the sport's early decades, and the grid would expand to eleven teams and twenty-two cars.
Key Facts
- Michael Andretti's initial application in 2022 was met with fierce opposition from existing teams
- General Motors' commitment through Cadillac transformed the bid's credibility
- The FIA approved the entry, but commercial negotiations with F1 were prolonged
- Michael Andretti stepped back from a direct leadership role as the project evolved
- The campaign exposed deep tensions over F1's expansion and revenue-sharing model
2026–Present
Building from Scratch
The monumental challenge of becoming team number eleven
With entry confirmed, the Cadillac F1 team faced the Herculean task of building a Formula One operation essentially from the ground up. The team established its headquarters near Silverstone in the United Kingdom, placing itself in the heart of Motorsport Valley where the majority of F1's engineering talent resides. The choice of location was strategic: proximity to the existing talent pool, supply chain, and the Silverstone circuit itself made it the natural home for a new entrant seeking to ramp up quickly.
Dan Fallows, the former Red Bull Racing aerodynamicist who had been instrumental in the design of the championship-winning RB18, was appointed as technical director. His recruitment was a significant coup and signaled the seriousness of the team's ambitions. The engineering group at TWR, the storied racing engineering firm revived for the project, provided additional technical depth. Assembling a workforce of several hundred engineers, designers, mechanics, and support staff in a compressed timeframe represented one of the most complex recruitment exercises in recent F1 history.
General Motors committed to developing its own power unit for the 2028 season, with the team using a customer Ferrari engine in the interim. The decision to develop an in-house power unit reflected GM's long-term vision for the project: this was not a vanity exercise or a marketing stunt, but a genuine commitment to competing at the highest level of global motorsport. The Cadillac brand, with its associations of American luxury and engineering excellence, provided a compelling identity for the team that differentiated it from the predominantly European constructors that dominate the sport.
The challenges facing the team are immense. New entrants historically struggle for years before becoming competitive, and the gap between the front of the grid and the back is measured not just in seconds but in hundreds of millions of dollars of infrastructure and intellectual capital. The cost cap has made the financial challenge more manageable, but building the institutional knowledge, simulation tools, wind tunnel correlation, and operational processes that established teams have refined over decades cannot be shortcut. Whether Cadillac can defy history and become competitive within a reasonable timeframe will depend on the quality of its people, the depth of GM's commitment, and no small amount of determination.
Key Facts
- Headquarters established near Silverstone in the UK's Motorsport Valley
- Dan Fallows recruited from Red Bull Racing as technical director
- GM committed to developing its own power unit for the 2028 season
- Customer Ferrari engine to be used in the initial seasons
- TWR engineering group provides additional technical capability