Explained: Why Cadillac delayed the introduction of its own engines

It has been almost two years since General Motors - Cadillac's parent company - registered with the FIA as an engine supplier for Formula 1. This makes them an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), just like Ferrari, Mercedes, Audi, Honda, and Red Bull Powertrains. At the time, the Americans stated that their own engines would be present on the F1 grid from 2028.

This week, an announcement was made, stating that the FIA has officially approved the arrival of GM Performance Power Units. These are the engines being developed and built by a new company, formed by General Motors and TWG Motorsports. In 2029, these power units will be behind the cars of Cadillac for the first time, it was stated.

So it's a year later than originally planned. As to why not the original year 2028 was chosen, there is online speculation. It is thought that this has to do with a commitment from the FIA and the F1 teams that nothing will change in the Formula 1 engines at least until the 2028 season. This would prevent GM from having to build an engine for just one year (namely 2028), to potentially have to make another, much simpler power unit for the following two seasons.

This assumption, however, is incorrect according to General Motors. The company told GPblog that the delay to 2029 was done for practical reasons. A spokesperson stated: “We originally said ‘28 when we began the process several years ago. However, we could not start work until we received official approval which as you know took some time. That is the reason for shift.”

Cadillac indeed originally hoped to be active in Formula 1 as early as 2025. The admission, however, came only at the beginning of this year and not until 2026 is the new team in F1.