General Motors agrees deal to join F1 as 11th team in 2026

• GM and TWG will reportedly pay anti-dilution fee of US$450m to secure entry
• Automotive giant to join as a power unit manufacturer at later date
• Cadillac team expected to initially be powered by Ferrari 

General Motors (GM) has reached an agreement in principle to join the Formula One grid as the sport’s 11th team from the 2026 season under its Cadillac brand.

The outfit will initially use a customer engine supply before GM enters as a power unit manufacturer at a later date.

Cadillac is expected to be powered by Ferrari before it develops its own engines.

The American motoring giant was attached to the failed Andretti entry bid earlier this year, but Formula One’s rejection made clear its desire for a future entry from GM.

The series’ statement in January read: ‘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.’ 

This has now come to fruition after Formula One maintained dialogue with the automotive powerhouse and its partners at TWG Global, which is headed by Andretti Global’s chief executive Dan Towriss.

TWG Global is the investment vehicle for Mark Walter, the chief executive of Guggenheim Partners which has more than US$310 billion of assets under management.

Related posts

• Why General Motors chose Andretti for its F1 entry bid
• F1 team finances roundup: Is the budget cap working four years in?

Mario Andretti has been named as a director on the board of GM as part of this entry, which appears to represent the revised role of Andretti Global. This is likely to ease any tensions after Mario went in front of US Congress to raise concerns with ‘apparent anti-competitive actions’ from Formula One.

“With Formula One’s continued growth plans in the US, we have always believed that welcoming an impressive US brand like GM/Cadillac to the grid and GM as a future power unit supplier could bring additional value and interest to the sport,” said Greg Maffei, president and chief executive of Liberty Media.

“We credit the leadership of General Motors and their partners with significant progress in their readiness to enter Formula One. We are excited to move forward with the application process for the GM/Cadillac team to enter the championship in 2026.”

Dan Towriss, chief executive of TWG Global’s motorsport business, added: “We’re excited to partner with General Motors in bringing a dynamic presence to Formula One.

“Together, we’re assembling a world-class team that will embody American innovation and deliver unforgettable moments to race fans around the world. We appreciate the FIA and FOM’s support of our application and their recognition of the value we can bring to the championship.”

BlackBook says…

GM was the cornerstone of the Andretti entry bid, so reshaping it around the manufacturer makes the most commercial sense – and it has clearly convinced Formula One.

The two most prominent figures in this saga, Michael Andretti and Greg Maffei, also announced they would step back from their roles ahead of this revised bid being officially confirmed. That’s not to say either decision is linked, but it will help in promoting a fresh start between Formula One and GM.

Entering in 2026 will mean that GM should be subject to the new Concorde Agreement and therefore a new anti-dilution fee higher than the current US$200 million, which will appease teams. According to BBC Sport, GM and TWG will pay an anti-dilution fee of US$450 million to secure the entry.

Liberty Media also gets its wish for a major US-based manufacturer to join Formula One and further its ambitions in the country.