American automaker General Motors has officially registered with the FIA to start supplying F1 power units starting 2028.
Cadillac has revealed that General Motors will become an official Formula 1 Power Unit manufacturer starting in 2028. This comes after the FIA granted permission for the Andretti-Cadillac joint venture to enter the Formula One grid, subject to Formula One Management’s approval.
It has been speculated that Andretti Autosport, which is currently developing a car for the 2025 season, will temporarily use Renault powertrains if it gets approval. Cadillac would have more time to create a completely new hybrid V6 powertrain as a result.
The majority of the current field of competitors, however, are opposed to expanding the grid to eleven teams as this would undoubtedly diminish the sport’s prize fund and thereby reduce the income of the ten incumbent teams.
Andretti must now persuade Formula 1 itself that its presence among motorsport’s elite will add value to its current field. Its long-standing efforts to break into the Formula 1 market have been strengthened by the announcement that its approval would result in the creation of a brand-new powertrain manufacturer.
“We are thrilled that our new Andretti Cadillac F1 entry will be powered by a GM power unit,” said GM President Mark Reuss.
“With our deep engineering and racing expertise, we’re confident we’ll develop a successful power unit for the series and position Andretti Cadillac as a true works team.
“We will run with the very best, at the highest levels, with passion and integrity that will help elevate the sport for race fans around the world.”
Andretti plans to run its first Formula 1 race in 2025, so the team will probably need to sign a contract with a different powertrain supplier in the interim before GM takes over.
The powertrain could not be based on any current engine from General Motors’ stable. Although it produces a V6 turbocharged engine for the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing, F1 engines are 1.6-liter hybridized V6 turbocharged engines, with an approximate 50:50 ICE and electric power requirement by 2026.
Although it was previously stated that Andretti and Renault had reached an agreement on terms of supply, Bruno Famin, the interim team principal at Alpine, disclosed that the agreement had since expired.
Reuss explained that Cadillac’s participation depended on Andretti, even though Williams Team Principal James Vowles stated that GM could collaborate with another team.
“GM is committed to partnering with Andretti to race in F1,” he added. “The collaboration between Andretti-Cadillac brings together two unique entities built for racing, both with long pedigrees of success in motorsport globally.”
With GM intending to supply power units for the Formula One’s new engine regulations starting in 2026, it will join Audi, Ferrari, Honda, Mercedes, Renault, and Red Bull-Ford as the seventh manufacturer.
“We will run with the very best, at the highest levels, with passion and integrity that will help elevate the sport for race fans around the world,” Reuss concluded.
GM is currently testing F1 prototype technology, but there is still a long way to go. While the 5.5-liter V8 engine in the Cadillac V-Series R LMDh prototype shares conceptual similarities with the Chevrolet Corvette Z06, an F1 powertrain is very different.
The F1 effort requires GM to combine its expertise in electrification, turbocharging, and synthetic fuels with the cutting-edge systems required to operate such powertrains.
