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 creation of Andretti Cadillac, an F1 team that will be based in the U.S. with a support facility in the U.K., but did not discuss a timeline for entering competition.
"We are thrilled with the prospect of pairing with Andretti Global to form an American F1 team that will help spur even more global interest in the series and the sport," GM president Mark Reuss said in a statement.
2022 Miami Grand Prix
Andretti Global is the parent company of Andretti Autosport, the racing team operated by Michael Andretti, son of the legendary Mario Andretti. Along with Phil Hill, Mario Andretti is one of only two Americans to win an F1 title, a feat he achieved with Lotus in 1978. Michael had a less successful F1 career, lasting less than a season with McLaren.
Andretti Autosport currently fields teams in IndyCar and Formula E, and is a partner in Extreme E and Australian Supercars teams. The Andretti family has been looking to expand into F1 for some time, though. In early 2022, Michael Andretti applied to enter the series with a new team in 2024. Prior to that, he had reportedly looked at buying an existing team, possibly Williams, Alfa Romeo, or Haas, the only current U.S.-based team on the grid.
The move to launch a new American F1 team comes as the series, which is owned by U.S.-based Liberty Media, looks to expand its presence in the U.S. In 2022, F1 added a second U.S. race with the Miami Grand Prix, and Las Vegas is scheduled to return to the F1 calendar in 2023.
2023 Cadillac V-LMDh race car
Andretti and GM last partnered to return Chevrolet to IndyCar racing in 2012, winning the driver, team, and manufacturer titles that year. Andretti has since switched to Honda power for its IndyCar team.
Cadillac's step up to F1 comes after roughly three decades of stateside sports-car racing, first in the Pirelli World Challenge, then in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, where the luxury brand racked up multiple victories and championships with its DPi-V.R Daytona Prototype International racer.
Cadillac is poised to continue in IMSA racing under new regulations with the V-LMDh hybrid prototype, and will also return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.