Zak Brown hints at "imminent" announcement about Cadillac in F1
F1 News
McLaren CEO Zak Brown believes an "imminent" announcement is coming that would confirm Cadillac Racing—part of General Motors—will be the 11th team on the Formula 1 grid from the 2026 season onwards. Brown believes this is the case after seeing the smiles from General Motors employees.
"We've not been officially told anything. We partner with General Motors with our IndyCar team, so we have seen them here. They seem to have big smiles on their face. So I believe an announcement is probably imminent and it'll be exciting to have yet another manufacturer alongside Audi joining our sport," Brown told Sky Sports during the third free practice session.
Will an 11th team be welcome in Formula 1?
After years of debate, an 11th team seems set to join Formula 1. Michael Andretti unsuccessfully tried to introduce an F1 team under his name. It now looks like the new team will be the factory team of one of the biggest car manufacturers in the world: General Motors. The Americans will join the competition from 2026 with the Cadillac brand name, which was first leaked in Las Vegas and then confirmed by GPblog.
The journey to adding another team seemed like a challenge after Formula 1 rejected Andretti and Cadillac's joint bid earlier in the year. Formula One Management want to see a championship in which the biggest car brands - and GM certainly are one - compete against each other. Brown highlighted the prestige and history behind the name.
"They've got a great history in motorsports, General Motors. So I think it's great, more competition. Something for the fans to get excited about. They love new Grand Prixs, new power units, new racing teams, new racing drivers. So I think that'll be exciting," Brown added.