Cadillac officially receives final approval for 2026 F1 entry

Cadillac has officially received final approval of its entry to allow it to join the Formula 1 grid in 2026.

The General Motors works team has been established in partnership with TWG Global and is an evolution of the Andretti Cadillac project that was initially approved by the FIA in 2023. At that time, Formula One Management (FOM) did not enter into an agreement for the new team to join the grid as it had reservations surrounding future intentions relating to its power unit, with a chance an enforced supply deal would be required.

It's believed FOM also wanted guarantees GM would commit to building its own power unit in future -- creating a new full constructor rather than what it felt was likely to be a customer team -- and after further dialogue last year the newly positioned Cadillac outfit reached an agreement to expand the grid to 11 teams.

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The intention to allow Cadillac onto the grid in 2026 was announced by F1 in November of last year, and it has now officially been rubber-stamped.

“As we said in November, the commitment by General Motors to bring a Cadillac team to Formula 1 was an important and positive demonstration of the evolution of our sport,” F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said. “I want to thank GM and TWG for their constructive engagement over many months and look forward to welcoming the team on the grid from 2026 for what will be another exciting year for Formula 1.”

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem was a key supporter of expanding the grid and opened up the process for new teams to submit applications back in 2022, in a move that frustrated FOM at the time but has ultimately led to the current Cadillac project.

“Today marks a transformative moment, and I am proud to lead the Federation in this progressive step for the championship,” Ben Sulayem said. “The FIA Formula 1 Championship's expansion to an 11th team in 2026 is a milestone. GM/Cadillac brings fresh energy, aligning with the new FIA 2026 regulations and ushering in an exciting era for the sport.

“The Cadillac Formula 1 Team’s presence in the paddock will inspire future competitors and fans. Their entry strengthens our mission to push motorsport’s boundaries at the highest level.”

The team will be run by TWG Motorsports and has so far hired over 300 people to work on aerodynamics, chassis and component development, software and vehicle dynamics simulation across its facilities in Indianapolis, Charlotte and Warren in the United States, and Silverstone in the UK.

“For the past years, we have worked hand in hand with GM, to lay a robust foundation for an extraordinary F1 entry,” TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss said. “Now, with 2026 in our sights after today’s final approval from the FIA and Formula 1, we’re accelerating our efforts -- expanding our facilities, refining cutting-edge technologies and continuing to assemble top-tier talent.”

Cadillac will need to sign up to the new Concorde Agreement -- the document that binds the teams to the sport from a commercial perspective -- from 2026 onwards but as that next agreement is still being formulated with the existing competitors, it will now be included in discussions alongside them.