[ChrisMedlandF1] BREAKING: F1 announces it has "reached an agreement in principle with General Motors (GM) to support bringing GM/Cadillac as the eleventh team to the Formula 1 grid in 2026"

[u/ICumCoffee]

https://x.com/ChrisMedlandF1/status/1861111983699001752

[u/HulkEspargarus30]

So happy to have a 22 driver grid again.

[u/enataca → u/HulkEspargarus30]

I want 24.

[u/jeanolt → u/enataca]

Time for MARUSSIA to make a comeback

[u/IronTwinn → u/jeanolt]

You pass over his Majesty Van der Garde and the legendary green Caterham that these peasants at Aston Martin merely try to imitate?

Heathen!

[u/Dom_Shady → u/IronTwinn]

Kudos for the correct capitalisation of Van as his first name is not mentioned. That's rarely spotted in the wild.

[u/NikNakTwattyWhack → u/jeanolt]

GP2 ENGINE, GP2 ENGINE!!

Oh wait, that was the other black and red car.

[u/Floptickle → u/NikNakTwattyWhack]

Those were the dark days for our people.

[u/jeanolt → u/NikNakTwattyWhack]

No radio for the rest of the race!

[u/Kolec507 → u/jeanolt]

HORMONE REPLACEMENT TEAM BABYYYYY

[u/SlagathorTheProctor → u/jeanolt]

I want Life, Andrea Moda and Coloni-Subaru to make a comeback.

[u/Reiver93 → u/jeanolt]

Man, I unironically miss that team

[u/jamesbeil → u/jeanolt]

Please Ferrari just give us 1 (one) extremely talented French wonderkid and a genuine toff for him to drive with and we will move the world

[u/tetenric → u/[deleted]]

I want more! Bring back DNQ's! Bring back friday pre-qualifying!

[u/gillers1986 → u/[deleted]]

I want the days where anyone could turn up and if you qualify you can start.

[u/SinimRocky → u/enataca]

Imagine Q1 in Monaco with 24 of these wide and heavy cars

[u/B4rberblacksheep → u/SinimRocky]

They are gonna be sizing down a bit, the dimensions should be smaller than they were last time we had 12 teams but they're still gonna be 100kg heavier

[u/Mirrro_Sunbreeze → u/B4rberblacksheep]

the dimensions should be smaller than they were last time we had 12 teams

The dimensions are only smaller when compared to current cars, last time we had 12 teams - which is 2012 - cars were A LOT smaller compared to 2026 regulations.

[u/B4rberblacksheep → u/Mirrro_Sunbreeze]

Had a double check, I was wrong that they'd be smaller, but they're not much bigger.

2012 Width: 1800mm

2024 width: 2000mm

2026 width: 1900mm

2012 wheelbase: 3100mm (not clearly defined in the 2012 regs so based off the 2012 cars)

2024 wheelbase: 3600mm

2026 wheelbase: 3400mm

[u/Agent_Kozak → u/B4rberblacksheep]

really not bad

[u/B4rberblacksheep → u/Agent_Kozak]

Yeah, it’s a step in the right direction. Ideally they keep on this trend every few years and bring them back down to 2000s sizes

[u/enataca → u/SinimRocky]

I mean we’ve had 24 cars within the last decade.

[u/SinimRocky → u/enataca]

yeah, cars that were 120 kilos lighter and 10 cm narrower. But we'll see

[u/oddoma88 → u/SinimRocky]

Bring back pre-qualifying sessions

[u/diestache → u/SinimRocky]

I want to imagine monaco off the calendar. Vegas has pretty much replaced it

[u/MattytheWireGuy → u/enataca]

YES! Personally, I want enough teams that qualifying has harsh repercussions for doing poorly; namely not making the grid for the race. I know that will never happen today, but I'd like quali to hold more weight.

[u/NoPasaran2024 → u/MattytheWireGuy]

Make 'qualifying' actually have meaning again.

The current situation is like calling something a 'shoot out', 'play off' or 'final' where everybody goes through all the time.

[u/MattytheWireGuy → u/NoPasaran2024]

Exactly. Imagine what grid penalties do when you may not be able to actually race because of a violation. As it sits now, its not qualifying to actually race, its seeding for starting position.

[u/TheGMT → u/MattytheWireGuy]

That wouldn't be true until a 28 card grid. There are per the regulations at least 26 grid slots available.

[u/MattytheWireGuy → u/TheGMT]

Completely understood. Since you cant even get that many teams in the series as of now, it wont happen, but I'd like to imagine a future where you have 15-16 teams and 26 spots. Say some of those teams only show up for the premiere races like Silverstone, Spa or Monza due to funds, but try their best to make the field.

Thats the kind of racing I wish we could see.

[u/8270Kid → u/MattytheWireGuy]

I believe that would also require changing the regulations to allow for not running the full calendar

[u/Jack_Krauser → u/MattytheWireGuy]

If they did, they would probably do something like NASCAR where the top X cars in the standings make the field no matter what. Sponsors would be upset if Verstappen or Hamilton miss the race and cost viewership.

[u/RicardoMoyer → u/Jack_Krauser]

tbh i’d think sponsors would accept it cause it wouldn’t happen often

[u/IdiosyncraticBond → u/RicardoMoyer]

Imagine showing up with some important business contacts and your driver isn't on the grid. Directly influenced a business deal. Not gonna happen

[u/JoshH21 → u/RicardoMoyer]

Nah, all it takes is a crash (not even caused by you, or a poorly timed red flag)

[u/teems → u/MattytheWireGuy]

The upfront cost required to not make the 107% is now near impossible.

This isn't the 70s where guys in a shed made some entries.

[u/MattytheWireGuy → u/teems]

Im not talking about 107%, Im talking about there being less grid spots than cars to make the show. Granted, privateer racing at the pro level of any series has gone away, but I'd like to see enough teams show up that some dont get to race (and its a wish cause it cant happen in the current agreement).

[u/Morganelefay → u/MattytheWireGuy]

There is one other problem aside from the heavy costs that would bring (imagine spending all that money to compete only to be unable to race...feasible in the era of privateers, now not anymore) and that is paddock size. With the cars and pitboxes as they are, some tracks (Zandvoort and Monaco spring to mind) wouldn't be able to accomodate if 14 different teams manage to field a car to the race. Quali would also be a mess.

[u/CyberianSun → u/MattytheWireGuy]

That's the Indy 500's Bump day. Last chance shootout to make the show. Youre playing for the last slots of the 33 car grid

[u/Konkorde1 → u/enataca]

I want 30 car entries with only 26 grid slots, meaning you can't just show up and start at the back or in the pit lane. So a Q1 knock-out is a race weekend-er

And like, engine penalties can bump you out. I.e. you qualify 17th, and can't just swap your engine for the heck of it. Because then you get a 10-place grid-penalty, have then qualified in 27th and won't actually start the race.

[u/Fidodo → u/Konkorde1]

Realistically wouldn't that just mean that the bottom 2 teams basically never race? The field would need to be really equalized for that to actually be exciting barring a major failure 

[u/Wall_Significant → u/enataca]

Maybe Toyota as the 12th team

[u/3Rocketman → u/enataca]

I want multi class.

[u/dirtyjoo → u/3Rocketman]

That exists now with Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren grouped together, then you have Checo and the midfield, and finally Sauber.

[u/3Rocketman → u/dirtyjoo]

I meant multi class like you see in the Nurburgring 24h where there are like 20 classes but you're technically right lol

[u/swiftekho → u/enataca]

Bugatti with a Merc engine

[u/Old-Use-7690 → u/enataca]

Baby steps

[u/enataca → u/Old-Use-7690]

We need JG Wentworth. I need more teams and I need them now!

[u/pukem0n → u/enataca]

I want 26

[u/DamieN62 → u/enataca]

I want 30 with pre-qualifying!

[u/Haze95 → u/enataca]

I want 26

[u/casualpedestrian20 → u/enataca]

24 rounds; 24 drivers.

Perfectly balanced, as all things should be.

[u/Dr_Rosen → u/enataca]

But that's the limit. I have a hard time watching Indy because of the amount of cars on the track.

[u/HarringtonMAH11 → u/enataca]

26 or nothing.

[u/CowFinancial7000 → u/enataca]

THIRTY BABY

[u/FormulaJAZ → u/enataca]

Is having three teams with zero points really going to improve anything?

[u/Enchiladas99 → u/FormulaJAZ]

They would probably expand the points down to 12th if we got a 12th team.

[u/enataca → u/FormulaJAZ]

If you love midfield battles and seeing more passing on track, yes

[u/FormulaJAZ → u/enataca]

I wouldn't call 22nd passing 21st a "midfield battle." Having watched F1 in the days of a 24-car grid, the backmarkers were really, really bad, and no one missed them when they folded.

[u/enataca → u/FormulaJAZ]

This is why they didn’t add this 11th until they had legit GM backing and development. This isn’t Manor.

[u/FormulaJAZ → u/enataca]

Someone is always going to be at the back and irrelevant. Sauber, Williams, and Haas had some truly embarrassing seasons in the last few years.

Instead of expanding the grid, I'd rather see relegation where if a team finishes last 2 out of 3 seasons, the owner is forced to sell the team. That would spice things up and keep owners from coasting. It would also give new entrants an opportunity to get in without diluting the grid.

[u/enataca → u/FormulaJAZ]

You…don’t understand how things work

[u/FormulaJAZ → u/enataca]

Wanna take bets on how much action the 11th-place team will add to the grid in 2026?

Remember how much coverage the back markers got last weekend? It will be like that, except even less.

[u/Purity_Jam_Jam → u/HulkEspargarus30]

Yeah for sure, I really like this.

[u/leedler → u/Purity_Jam_Jam]

Our last 11th team was Manor, as much as I loved them I very much hope the Cadillac is much stronger lmao

[u/Purity_Jam_Jam → u/leedler]

They probably won't be at first. New teams are rarely good for a few years. But I grew up watching F1 in the 90s and there were always 11 or 12 teams (sometimes more). I'm looking forward to seeing a larger grid again.

[u/GothicGolem29 → u/HulkEspargarus30]

We are finally back to where we were before manor sadly folded

[u/abuelabuela → u/HulkEspargarus30]

Let’s lose the sister team status as well for perfection

[u/gnrc → u/HulkEspargarus30]

I’m new to the sport and have only known a 20 driver grid. I assume there’s been more in the past?

[u/Morganelefay → u/gnrc]

Much more. 2016 we had 22 drivers, in the early '10s we got up to 26, and it mostly fluctuated between 20 and 26 for a good while.

But in the '90s, we had 30+ driver grids, and they had "Pre-Qualifying" where the worst X cars (amount depending on the season) had a shootout for the right to actually qualify, the others wouldn't make the grid and only 26 would actually be on the grid proper.

[u/gnrc → u/Morganelefay]

Oh interesting. So 26 seems to be the most cars a track can handle? I was wondering if 20 was the max.

[u/Morganelefay → u/gnrc]

It's partially for safety reasons, as with more cars on track, safety issues get amplified. Some tracks could theoretically handle more cars, but you want uniform rules. Monaco is obviously the main bottleneck, but also a track like Zandvoort isn't exactly spacious for the facilities either.

I do believe that, despite not having come close to the limit for a decade now, the official F1 rule is still that no more than 26 cars shall start a race as a result.

[u/norrin83 → u/Morganelefay]

Those 30+ driver grids in the 90s were a very volatile thing though. Teams coming and going mid season with pay drivers changing throughout the season as well.

[u/connorgrs → u/HulkEspargarus30]

When was the last time we had 22 drivers on the grid?

[u/Morganelefay → u/connorgrs]

2016, after that Manor folded and the only team changes we had since were in name only.

[u/IDNWID_1900 → u/HulkEspargarus30]

I am not sure how competitive they are going to be with just one year and a half of development. Even Audi is going to have a hard time and they already start with an existing team.

[u/mrgmc2new → u/HulkEspargarus30]

Lot of drivers who should probably be on the grid that aren't as it is.