All-American F1 Blockbuster: Michael Andretti, General Motors Plan to Enter F1 with Cadillac

• Andretti of Andretti Global and General Motors President Mark Reuss announced on Thursday that the two will be partnering for an F1 effort.

• Plans call for the all-American team to include an American driver, American manufacturer and an American headquarters.

• Andretti feels this new partnership, which has been in the works for the last 4-5 months, and the support of the FIA head will put the effort over the top.

Michael Andretti's Formula 1 effort has taken a major leap forward with a surprising partner.

Andretti of Andretti Global and General Motors President Mark Reuss announced that the two will be partnering for an F1 effort with Cadillac.

"Andretti Global has partnered with General Motors to pursue an Expression of Interest to join Formula 1," Andretti said in a video press conference on Thursday. "I'm really proud to be able to be a part of this fellow American company in this pursuit of the opportunity to join Formula 1. GM and Andretti both have a strong history in racing, and I believe that together we have a lot to offer."

Plans call for the all-American team will include a American driver, American manufacturer and an American headquarters.

The team would be based in the United States, ostensibly at Andretti’s expanding campus at Fishers, Indiana, but will have a support facility in the United Kingdom.

“We are continuing to grow Andretti Global and its family of racing teams and always have our eyes on what’s next,” said Andretti. “I feel that we are well suited to be a new team for Formula 1 and can bring value to the series and our partners, and excitement for the fans. I’m proud to have GM and Cadillac alongside us as we pursue this goal. GM and Andretti share a legacy born out of the love of racing. We now have the opportunity to combine our motorsport passions and dedication to innovation to build a true American F1 bid.

“Together, we will continue to follow procedures and steps put forth by the FIA during the evaluation process. In the meantime, we continue to optimistically prepare should we be fortunate enough to have Andretti Cadillac formally approved as a Formula 1 contender.”

Reuss added that General Motors is “honored to team with Andretti Global on this historic moment in racing.

“Cadillac and F1 both have growing global appeal," Reuss said. "Our brand has a motorsports pedigree that’s more than a century in the making, and we would be proud to have the opportunity to bring our distinct American innovation and design to F1.”

Andretti, who raced for McLaren in 1993, has been exploring avenues to enter Formula 1 in recent years.

The exact timing of any Andretti-Cadillac entrance into F1 is still undetermined. Registration deadlines for new power units for 2024 have passed. It is now believed that 2026, is the earliest any Andretti-Cadillac entry could most likely find its way to the grid.

"We don't know know yet, exactly when," Andretti said. "It's all going to depend on the Expression of Interest and how long that process takes. We are going to be on track as soon as it all makes sense to be on track."

Andretti's more than year-long effort to bring a new team to Formula 1 has received a cool reception from most of the current 10 teams in Formula 1. Many of those teams were not interested in splitting the prize funds with an 11th team.

The new effort, however, has the support of FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem. Andretti feels this new partnership, which has been in the works for the last 4-5 months, and the support of the FIA head will put the effort over the top.

"One of the big things was always, 'what does Andretti bring to the party," Andretti said. "Well, we're bringing one of the biggest manufacturers in the world with us with General Motors and Cadillac. We feel that was one box we didn't have checked.

"We've checked that box now. It's hard for anyone to argue with that."

Colton Herta, who currently drives for Andretti in the NTT IndyCar Series, is believed to be the frontrunner to drive for Andretti in Formula 1, should the team be approved.

"We definitely have a plan to have an American driver and I think you all know who is leading the pack on that one," Andretti said. "With Colton, we do have him under contract right now in Indy cars. We definitely want to make this at least an all-American effort and to make sure that we have an American driver in the seat."

Formula 1 and the FIA both responded publicly to the Andretti-Cadillac announcement on Thursday. It is understood that Formula 1 has held conversations behind-the-scenes with multiple interested parties and that it does not regard any new entrant as viable before 2026 at the earliest.

“There is great interest in the F1 project at this time with a number of conversations continuing that are not as visible as others,” said a statement from Formula 1.

“We all want to ensure the championship remains credible and stable, and any new entrant request will be assessed on criteria to meet those objectives by all the relevant stakeholders. Any new entrant request requires the agreement of both F1 and the FIA.”

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem explained that it is “particularly pleasing to have interest from two iconic brands such as General Motors Cadillac and Andretti Global.”

Ben Sulayem added that “any Expressions of Interest process will follow strict FIA protocol and will take several months,” providing the first indication of a timeline for interested parties.