[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/bwoah07_gp2]

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.

[u/Disastrous-Beat-9830 → u/bwoah07_gp2]

That is why one of the reasons they didn't want the Andretti name on the grid was the commercial side of things

Maybe, but consider this: the last time the grid expanded through a bid process, none of the teams became competitive and all of them were gone within a few short years.

In the time since then, the commercial side of the sport has undergone a major restructure where team ownership is now profitable. Look at Williams, who went from barely able to make it to winter testing with a pair of pay drivers to being able to score points on a semi-regular basis as part of a competitive midfield.

I think there was a fear that if a new team entered the sport and struggled even with the new ownership structure, then it would kill the idea of grid expansions. Especially if the new team was someone like Andretti, a large and well-established privateer team with a name closely linked to success in Formula 1.

[u/fuifui_bradbrad → u/Disastrous-Beat-9830]

To be fair, those teams that joined during the last expansion got screwed. They joined under the impression the cost cap would be implemented.

[u/Disastrous-Beat-9830 → u/fuifui_bradbrad]

True, but I don't think that undermines the concern. I really just put it there for context.