There is a good chance that Formula 1 will have an additional eleventh team on the grid in 2026. Formula 1 confirms the talks with General Motors, with which an agreement in principle has already been reached in Las Vegas.
Formula 1 announced today that it has reached an agreement in principle with General Motors (GM), and hopes to bring GM/Cadillac to the grid as the eleventh team in 2026. An earlier request from General Motors, set up by Michael Andretti, was rejected by F1 earlier this year, but both parties have always remained in dialogue.
The British Sky Sports reported last weekend that the departure of Michael Andretti from the motorsport team has changed things considerably. Businessman Dan Towriss, majority shareholder of Andretti Global, is now leading the negotiations himself. Towriss spoke extensively with a delegation from F1 in Las Vegas.
“With Formula 1’s continued growth plans in the US, we have always believed that welcoming an impressive American brand like GM/Cadillac and GM as a future engine supplier can add value and interest to the sport,” said Greg Maffei, CEO of Liberty Media. “We are delighted to be moving forward with the application process for the GM/Cadillac team to participate in the championship in 2026.”
Opposition to expansion
The majority of the ten current F1 teams previously openly opposed the expansion of the grid for commercial reasons. According to the formations, an eleventh team would not generate sufficient added value and revenue for the sport to compensate for the loss of income from an eleventh team. After all, the prize pool is currently shared by ten teams, not yet by eleven. But Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff already hinted in Vegas that the new setup from GM is interesting.
“If a team can really add something, especially if GM decides to own the team itself, then that is a completely different story. If we grow the revenue of the sport, no team will ever be against it,” Wolff told Sky News. “But ultimately it is not up to us. It is up to the commercial rights holders, together with the FIA.”
They are all positive about it, as it turns out. “The involvement of General Motors and Cadillac in this project is important and positive for the evolution of our sport. We look forward to seeing this process progress and grow,” said F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.
“General Motors is a huge global brand and powerhouse in the automotive world. I fully support the efforts of the FIA, Formula 1, GM and the team to maintain dialogue and move this application forward. All parties, including the FIA, will continue to work together to ensure this process runs smoothly,” said FIA boss Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
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