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Official: Cadillac confirmed as the 11th team in F1 from 2026 onwards!
- Ludo van Denderen
It had been a long time coming, but is now official: Cadillac will join Formula 1 as the 11th team, as they enter the grid for the first time in the 2026 season, Formula 1 announced.
All's well that ends well, Cadillac can be thinking. For years, the team, first still under the name Andretti, tried to join Formula 1. While the FIA did see them fit to become the eleventh team, the other ten teams already in the competition were far less enthusiastic. There were fears, for instance, that Andretti would at some point sell the team and thus use F1 as a way to make a lot of money. Yet the biggest concern was around prize money: with 11 teams, it would no longer have to be shared by 10, but one more parties instead.
Guarantees for current F1 teams
Most F1 teams, with Mercedes' Toto Wolff leading the way, did not like a loss of revenue. They wanted rock-solid guarantees that they would not lose out because another squad joining. In recent months, that there was more confidence in the new team began to show, partly because of the clout that Cadillac - as part of General Motors - had. No doubt, the necessary guarantees have now been given, so that the current teams will be financially compensated by the arrival of the Americans.
While it was not completely certain F1 would allow Cadillac to join, the team have been working hard to build an organisation. There are now facilities in the United States and in the United Kingdom, in which the team are working towards the start of the 2026 season. That is when the first Cadillac cars will be on the grid with Ferrari engines. Afterwards, only in a few years' time will the Americans will introduce their in-house-built power units.
This article was written in collaboration with Kada Sárközi
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