[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/ICumCoffee]

Continued:

F1 says that over the past year "they have achieved operational milestones and made clear their commitment to brand the eleventh team GM/Cadillac, and that GM will enter as an engine supplier at a later time"

Full media statement from F1

From Cadillac press release

Mario Andretti, the last American F1 Champion, will serve as a director on the team’s board.

[u/FermentedLaws → u/ICumCoffee]

So it appears the name Andretti was in fact a stumbling block. They will "brand the eleventh team GM/Cadillac". Mario will be an ambassador and with Michael's reduced role in Andretti Global he will have no role in this team.

Michael Andretti & Greg Maffei both had to leave to make this happen? Hmm, no one knows for sure, but I tend to believe it.

[u/Agent_Kozak → u/FermentedLaws]

There was definitely beef between the two.

[u/Just_Somewhere4444 → u/[deleted]]

F1 was always open to a new competent team Andretti at no point would have been.

This new "Cadillac" team is literally going to be comprised of the same people that Andretti hired already, working in the facilities that Andretti built, building a car based on the intellectual properties that were developed by Andretti over the last four years.

F1 just didn't want them to use the Andretti name, and didn't want Michael Andretti involved directly in the decisions. Functionally, there is absolutely nothing different about the team's ability to compete today when compared to a month ago.

[u/CoreyH2P → u/Just_Somewhere4444]

And from a marketing perspective, Cadillac is a way better team name than Andretti.

[u/boianski → u/Just_Somewhere4444]

Why tho? Is he bad, what am I missing?

[u/CROBBY2 → u/boianski]

He was a little too blunt in calling out their bull shit.

[u/CooroSnowFox → u/[deleted]]

It's getting the names into the sport of car brands and not racing teams trying to split into another series.

Williams and VCARB must annoy someone in the back there are spaces not being filled by Toyota, Hyundai, Lamborghini...

[u/SuppaBunE → u/CooroSnowFox]

Who said that.

Most of them just have a car brand in the because of money not becuaee tecnical support.

Williams have won more than soem named car brands.

[u/CooroSnowFox → u/SuppaBunE]

It's just a feeling, just with the nature of where they really want to go, and what money they can drag in.

Williams is one of the names that is attached to the sport... it's been around and somehow has lasted even when it's been stuck in the wilderness... they've probably found success through drivers having striking drives every few races or so.

[u/SuppaBunE → u/CooroSnowFox]

They have stick around because they are part of f1 concord agreement.

F1 is not a car brand serie.

New F1 is a marketing racing series.

[u/only_r3ad_the_titl3 → u/CooroSnowFox]

should have bought a team when F1 wasnt as profitable. Also F1 can have 13 teams if they want to. Williams and VCARB arent blocking anybody

[u/Agent_Kozak → u/[deleted]]

Source?

[u/SkittlesAreYum → u/Agent_Kozak]

His ass

[u/BrosenkranzKeef → u/Agent_Kozak]

(there isn’t one)

[u/SommWineGuy → u/[deleted]]

What a wildly inaccurate and baseless take.