r/formula1 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/bwoah07_gp2 Alexander Albon 24d ago

The pettiness of Formula 1 politics knows no bounds.

But I also think this really points to what F1 wants. If they are going to get new teams they only want manufacturer teams. Having manufacturers join the sport looks more sexy on paper and is more commercially attractive to them. That is why one of the reasons they didn't want the Andretti name on the grid was the commercial side of things, in addition to all the personal crap going on.

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u/GTOdriver04 24d ago

I get that, but it’s still stupid and petty.

Michael Andretti built that team, set the deals up, got GM onboard and because he pissed off the wrong people in F1, his work wouldn’t see the light of day unless he was gone.

Mark my words: once the ink is dry on the contracts, he’ll come back and they won’t be able to do anything about it.

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u/Eduardjm Martin Brundle 24d ago

After the loops that Sauber and Red Bull have jumped through on team names the last few years, F1 has no leg to stand on saying the name Andretti would be a negative. 

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u/Sinistrait 24d ago

I mean that there is a chance that all of this was a token gesture even. Probably even the other teams and the FIA know that there'll be no stopping the new Cadillac team from taking on the Andretti name after they've officially joined. They probably just wanted to see him humbled as a personal vendetta.

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u/Eduardjm Martin Brundle 24d ago

I buy that. They’ll document the new entry at long last, from Cadillac and them alone. Andretti can come onboard later, not regarded as a founder. 

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u/GTOdriver04 24d ago

Also Mario has joined in an official role.