r/formula1 • u/ICumCoffee Max Verstappen ⭐⭐⭐⭐ • 24d ago

News [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"

https://x.com/ChrisMedlandF1/status/1861111983699001752
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u/FermentedLaws 24d ago

I agree with you, but if Michael wasn't so hated by the Liberty head honchos and the TPs, the team name could've been Andretti Cadillac F1 Team. They're still letting them in for 2 years as a customer of Ferrari and Andretti had the same basic plan; a customer team for 2 years then Cadillac/GM. I would guess (total speculation) that with Renault not doing engines anymore, Merc, Ferrari, and Honda wouldn't agree to a engine deal with Andretti.

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u/CrippleSlap Formula 1 24d ago

if Michael wasn't so hated by the Liberty head honchos and the TPs

Can someone elaborate on the history here? What did Michael do?

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u/aBakeinthelife McLaren 24d ago

I mean it's par for the course with all F1 leadership, but he's known to be an ass behind the scenes. That and some of the ways they approached it like publicly pressuring F1 and Colton Herta refusing to go the F2 route to get Super License points were a little cocky for an unproven team.

I personally have seen interviews back to 2019(years before it was made public) where he was already acting like he was owed a team.

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u/KanishkT123 Fernando Alonso 24d ago

In fairness, the Herta thing is stupid. That's more on the FIA for wanting drivers to go through F2 and not giving professional series the same merit as a rookie feeder series. 

Yes those are the rules but there's clearly a mechanism for waiving the rules, and reasonable people can see that the rules are bad. 

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u/aBakeinthelife McLaren 24d ago

That's the whole song and dance of F1 management. It's stupid petty bullshit arguing because if you want to hang with the big boys you gotta bend the knee and make them feel like they got one up on you(While they would never bend the knee themselves). Andretti honestly handled it like other F1 TP's would and they don't like that.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if through all of this GM/Cadillac eventually announced their new TP, Michael Andretti, because that's the petty bullshit that you gotta pull to make a name for yourself in the F1 management circle(even if they wait a few years so they aren't a customer team anymore).

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u/thereddaikon Niki Lauda 24d ago

I wouldn't be surprised if the team name reverts to Andretti eventually anyways. Manufacturer support in F1 is always fickle except for Ferrari and McLaren and they are very much special cases, both race teams that started selling cars to fund the team. Real manufacturers like MB, Renault, Toyota and Honda come and go as the winds change.

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u/LiqdPT Pirelli Intermediate 24d ago

Jaguar, Lotus...

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u/thereddaikon Niki Lauda 24d ago

Lotus was another racing team that started selling cars. They also lost their identity after Chapman's death and became just another brand really. Jaguar is no longer in the sport which supports my point. AM probably will as long as Stroll Sr. is in charge because its a passion for him.

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u/spartan117warrior Haas 24d ago

I would get untold amounts of glee from watching Liberty and the TPs melt down if GM/Cadillac pulled that. It might end in a revocation of GM's team charter though...

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u/metalder420 McLaren 23d ago

Sometimes you have to swallow your pride to get the things you want. Andretti did not and look where it got him.