Cadillac's entry on to the Formula 1 grid for 2026 has finally been approved by both the FIA and FOM.
The decision brings to an end a long-running saga that stretches back to January 2023, when FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem first opened up the idea of expanding the F1 grid.
Having whittled down a raft of applications from interested parties, what originally started out as an Andretti-led team hit a road block in January last year when, despite getting approved for a slot by the FIA, it was denied a commercial deal from F1 itself.
FOM argued that it felt that an Andretti entry would not bring an added benefit to grand prix racing.
At the time, F1 said: "The most significant way in which a new entrant would bring value is by being competitive. We do not believe that the applicant would be a competitive participant."
F1's decision proved controversial and the Andretti organisation took its complaints to the Department of Justice in the USA over potential anti-competition breaches.
While that was happening, in the background things were moving forward with the FIA and F1.
A change of leadership at the project, with original founder Michael Andretti stepping back and the reins being taken by Dan Towriss, helped steer a change in approach.
This opened the door for it to morph into more of a factory Cadillac entry, albeit with customer Ferrari engines initially.
F1 was clear in its stance that the prospect of bringing a major new manufacturer on board in Cadillac's parent company General Motors was a game changer, compared to the original plans that could have required one of the current car-makers being forced to supply Andretti with engines.
Cadillac is working on entering its own power unit from 2028, and GM's presence in F1 will be a big boost to grand prix racing in raising its profile even more.
Following recent evaluation of the revamped project, a final green light has now been given.
Speaking in the wake of the confirmation of the entry being approved, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali highlighted the significance of the way the nature of the team's plans changed.
"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," he 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."
Ben Sulayem expressed his delight at having seen his hopes of an 11th team on the grid reaching fruition.
"Today marks a transformative moment, and I am proud to lead the federation in this progressive step for the championship," he 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 timeline to Cadillac's entry
Jan 2023 – Ben Sulayem gets the ball rolling on the idea of adding an extra team to the grid. He issues a statement: "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."
Feb 2023 – The FIA opens its expressions of interest process to try to identify prospective teams. It states that all applications will be subject to strict due diligence and will be assessed based on "technical capabilities and resources, the ability of the team to raise and maintain sufficient funding to allow participation in the championship at a competitive level, and the team's experience and human resources".
May 2023 – With seven expressions of interest sent to the FIA, three were ruled out immediately. The four remaining were invited to lodge a formal application to participate in F1.
October 2023 – Following a lengthy evaluation process, it is announced by the FIA that Andretti-Cadillac is the only team that met its criteria and whose entry could be sent to the next stage – which was agreeing a commercial deal with F1.
January 2024 – FOM announces that the Andretti-Cadillac bid was rejected as it does not feel the squad would bring a benefit to F1. The door is left open, however, to a rethink if some elements were approached differently – especially Cadillac and GM's role.
F1 said at the time: "We would look differently on an application for the entry of a team into the 2028 championship with a GM power unit, either as a GM works team or as a GM customer team designing all allowable components in-house."
November 2024 – F1 announces it has reached an agreement in principle with General Motors to help its effort to bring an 11th team to F1. The plan is now for this to be a Cadillac works team, which was more manufacturer focused than the original Andretti plan.
March 2025 – The FIA and FOM approves the entry and commercial terms for Cadillac to join the F1 grid in 2026.
