Formula 1 has officially announced an expansion of the grid for the 2026 season, paving the way for the entry of a new team in collaboration with General Motors. This decision concludes a prolonged period of negotiations and controversy, which even prompted a U.S. Justice Department investigation into Liberty Media’s refusal to initially endorse the team proposed by Michael Andretti.
Recently, Andretti stepped back from leading his namesake team, which will now operate under the name Cadillac F1. The management of the team will be overseen by the new majority owners of Andretti Global, Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. For the first two seasons, Cadillac F1 will utilize Ferrari engines until GM develops a competitive Cadillac engine set to debut in 2028.
Dan Towriss, CEO and president of Group 1001, entered the motorsports arena by partnering with Andretti’s IndyCar team as a sponsor through his financial savings platform, Gainbridge. He has since become a significant figure in the motorsports world, owning stakes in both Spire Motorsports’ NASCAR squad and Wayne Taylor Racing’s sports car team.
Mark Walter, on the other hand, serves as the chief executive of Guggenheim Partners and has interests in various professional sports franchises, including the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chelsea Football Club. Mario Andretti, the legendary 1978 F1 champion, will take on an ambassador role for Cadillac F1, while his son Michael will have no formal position after stepping back from his active role with Andretti Global.
The announcement had been anticipated for weeks but was deliberately held until after the Las Vegas Grand Prix to allow that event to shine without distractions. During the race, Max Verstappen clinched his fourth consecutive championship title, marking the end of the series’ U.S. tour for the season.
Historically, grid expansions in F1 have been rare and often face challenges. In 2010, four new entries were approved that aimed to bring the grid to 26 cars, but only one team actually made it to the grid while the others faded away by 2017. Currently, only one American team, owned by Gene Haas, competes in F1, but it has struggled to perform and does not feature American drivers. Andretti’s vision was to establish a team that truly embodied American spirit with its drivers coming from the U.S.
The push for this new team has extended over the past three years. While the FIA, the governing body, supported the bid, F1’s reluctance to approve the expansion was evident, largely due to existing teams fearing a dilution of prize money and the substantial investments they have already made in the sport. Andretti had previously attempted to purchase the Sauber team in 2020 but faced setbacks, leading him to pursue a partnership with GM, America’s largest automotive manufacturer.
Support for this venture was reiterated by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who highlighted the significance of GM’s involvement, describing it as a strong brand that was essential to the expansion efforts. Initially, F1 showed more interest in GM rather than Andretti, requesting that GM seek out another team to partner with, which they declined. Ultimately, F1 indicated they would reconsider Andretti’s application once Cadillac’s competitive engine became available.
An essential turning point occurred earlier this month with the resignation of Greg Maffei, the CEO of Liberty Media, who was considered a significant opponent of Andretti’s team entry. This development may shift the dynamics in the ongoing discussions around the expansion of the F1 grid.