Is an AI startup partially responsible for the change of mind? It might be.
A rendering of the Cadillac F1 car for 2026. Credit: Cadillac
The United States will have a second team competing in Formula 1 from 2026, when Cadillac Formula 1 will join the sport as its 11th team. The result is a complete 180 for the sport’s owner, which was highly resistant to the initial bid, first announced at the beginning of 2023.
“As the pinnacle of motorsports, F1 demands boundary-pushing innovation and excellence. It’s an honor for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world’s premier racing series, and we’re committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for race fans around the world,” said GM President Mark Reuss. “This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM’s engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level.”
Team first, engines later
We will have to wait until 2028 to see that full engineering potential on display. Even with the incoming changes to the technical regulations, it’s far more than the work of a minute to develop a new F1 hybrid powertrain, let alone a competitive package. Audi has been working on its F1 powertrain since at least 2023, as has Red Bull, which decided to make its internal combustion engine in-house, like Ferrari or Mercedes, with partner Ford providing the electrification.
GM’s decision to throw Cadillac’s hat into the ring came with the caveat that its powertrain wouldn’t be ready until 2028—two years after it actually wants to enter the sport. That means for 2026 and 2027, Cadillac F1 will use customer engines from another manufacturer, in this case Ferrari. From 2028, we can expect a GM-designed V6 hybrid under Cadillac F1’s engine covers.
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As McLaren has demonstrated this year, customer powertrains are no impediment to success, and Alpine (née Renault) is going so far as to give up its own in-house powertrain program in favor of customer engines (and most likely, a for sale sign as the French automaker looks set to walk away from the sport once again).
A clash of personalities
Conspicuously absent in all of this is the figure of Michael Andretti. The son of F1 world champion Mario Andretti, Michael became a successful IndyCar driver and team owner, and his organization, Andretti Global, was picked by GM to be its team in F1.
Motorsports’ organizing body, the FIA, accepted the Andretti Cadillac bid, but F1’s commercial rights holder had no intention of following suit, with a number of objections, some reasonable, others not. Hungry for the gravitas that a major OEM like GM would bring, F1 told the automaker that its powertrains were entirely welcome, but perhaps in the back of someone else’s car. No dice, replied GM—Andretti Global was part of a package deal.
It probably didn’t help that F1’s email to Andretti never made it past the racing team’s spam filter.
Things took another turn in May, when the Andrettis enlisted the help of a number of Republican politicians to help press their case. F1 is owned by Liberty Media, and Andretti’s friend in Congress, Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), demanded documents and a briefing from Liberty on its decision not to grant Andretti an entry to the sport, with the threat of congressional hearings and charges of anticompetitive behavior.
Mario Andretti even alleges that president and CEO of Liberty, Greg Maffei, vowed to personally block any entry involving the Italian-American family.
Maffei is stepping down from his role at the end of this year, but he will have outlasted Michael Andretti. In late September, the racing world was stunned to learn that Michael Andretti was stepping back from Andretti Global with immediate effect, and that his partner and investor Dan Towriss would take control, with the company now called TWG Global.
With Michael Andretti out of the picture, it seems the team’s bid to enter F1 cleared its last hurdle.
“We’re excited to partner with General Motors in bringing a dynamic presence to Formula 1,” said Towriss. “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.”
Did an AI startup sink Michael Andretti?
Although Andretti and Towriss have been rather tight-lipped about the reason for Andretti’s retirement, it’s possible that vast losses associated with another Andretti venture might have played a role. Andretti Acquisition Corp was a $230 million special purpose acquisition corporation founded by the Andrettis, which earlier this year merged with an AI startup called Zapata AI.
Like many SPACs that started trading in 2024 after the bubble had already deflated, things have not gone well for Zapata AI, which plunged from $10 a share to barely half that within its first day of trading. Before too long, Zapata was worth less than 2 cents a share, rendering Andretti’s holdings effectively worthless, and the company ceased operations in October. While confirmation would require Andretti or Towriss to break silence, it’s widely believed that Andretti found himself too leveraged to continue and sold his stake in Andretti Global to his partner.
With Michael out of the way, Towriss was able to persuade GM to increase its commitment to the program, further reassuring F1 of the seriousness of the plan.
The Andretti name won’t be on the grid in 2026, but Andretti Senior might be seen from time to time—unlike his son, Mario will have an ambassador role with the Cadillac F1 team.
