Andretti Global and General Motors’ Cadillac brand have teamed up in their pursuit to join Formula One in the coming years.
Earlier this week, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem revealed that he had a discussion with the governing body about starting the process of allowing new teams to join the Formula One grid. Soon after, Andretti Global confirmed their collaboration with General Motors’ Cadillac in their bid to bring an “all-American” team to the premier series. The ‘Andretti Cadillac’ team is planning to submit an official Expression of Interest when the FIA opens up the formal process.
Two icons. One pursuit. 💪
Andretti Autosport is thrilled to support the news of Andretti Global and General Motors with @Cadillac, two American powerhouses coming together to pursue the opportunity to compete in the @FIA @F1 World Championship.#CadillacVSeries #AllAndretti
— Andretti INDYCAR & INDY NXT (@AndrettiIndy) January 5, 2023
Michael Andretti, the chairman and CEO of Andretti Global, said:
“We are continuing to grow Andretti Global and its family of racing teams and always have our eyes on what’s next. I feel that we are well suited to be a new team for Formula 1 and can bring value to the series and our partners, and excitement for the fans. I’m proud to have GM and Cadillac alongside us as we pursue this goal. GM and Andretti share a legacy born out of the love of racing. We now have the opportunity to combine our Motorsport passions and dedication to innovation to build a true American F1 bid.”
Mark Reuss, president of General Motors, added:
“We have a long, rich history in Motorsports and engineering innovation, and 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. Cadillac and F1 both have growing global appeal. Our brand has a Motorsports pedigree that’s more than a century in the making, and we would be proud to have the opportunity to bring our distinct American innovation and design to F1.”
I welcome the news of the @Cadillac and @FollowAndretti partnership and the @FIA looks forward to further discussions on the FIA @F1 World Championship Expressions of Interest process pic.twitter.com/LQgbYDW0qM
— Mohammed Ben Sulayem (@Ben_Sulayem) January 5, 2023
Andretti-Cadillac would be based in the United States with a support facility in the United Kingdom. While they still need the approval of Formula 1 and the FIA, the work on the project has already begun with the General Motors’ President confirming Andretti has signed an agreement with an external Power Unit supplier, but no name has been given yet. If everything goes as planned, the team will include at least one American driver, most likely IndyCar’s Colton Herta. Speaking with Motorsport.com, Andretti said:
“We definitely have plans to have an American driver. I think you all know who is leading the pack on that one. Colton we have under contract right now in IndyCar. We want to make this an all-American effort to make sure we have an American driver in the seat.”
Formula 1 has seen incredible growth in the United States thanks to Netflix’s ‘Drive to Survive’ docu-series. With the possibility of another American team stepping in alongside Haas, the sport’s popularity will skyrocket. This year, the United States will host three races, including Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas.
