F1 may have finally found its “All-American” team after Andretti Motorsports announced its engine supplier partnership with the General Motors owned Cadillac.
With the recent gain in popularity for the sport thanks to Netflix’s “Drive To Survive” and multiple US based Grand Prix events, American fans are sure to be excited to hear the news!
Mario 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 to also include an American driver, American manufacturer and an American headquarters, with a UK based support location.
“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.”
The exact timing of any 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 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 effort to bring a new team to Formula 1 has received a cool reception from most of the current teams in F1. Many of those teams are not interested in splitting the prize funds with an 11th team.
The new effort, however, has recently gained the support of FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem. Recent news broke that Formula One's governing body is ready to start a process for new teams to enter the championship, President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said on Monday.
"I have asked my @FIA team to look at launching an Expressions of Interest process for prospective new teams for the FIA @F1 World Championship," International Automobile Federation (FIA) head Ben Sulayem posted on Twitter.
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