Ferrari just removed one word from their Cadillac engine statement and it will please F1 bosses

Cadillac will race with Ferrari power units when they join the Formula 1 grid in 2026, the Italian giants confirmed on Tuesday. This has been the expectation ever since they agreed a deal to enter the sport.

Ferrari are one of five manufacturers building a power unit for F1’s new era. Mercedes are another, but they’re already at capacity after replacing Aston Martin with Alpine (to go along with McLaren and Williams).

Aston are linking up with Honda, and Lawrence Stroll may have been unhappy at the prospect of losing exclusivity. F1 could have forced Honda to supply Cadillac, but Ferrari were more content to do a deal regardless.

The Scuderia will continue to supply Haas until at least the end of 2028, even though the American team have begun a technical partnership with Toyota. Sauber, however, are leaving their stable as they transition to an Audi works team.

Audi are building a ‘cannon’ of an engine but they won’t yet have the infrastructure to supply another team. The same can be said for the new Red Bull Powertrains division, though they will also work with junior outfit RB.

Cadillac owners General Motors are planning to build their own engine for the 2028 season. But until then, they will be a customer team.

Ferrari delete any mention of ‘Andretti’ from Cadillac F1 engine announcement

Ferrari’s initial announcement referred to a ‘multi-year agreement with Andretti Formula Racing’. This was a surprise given that GM are set to drop the Andretti name from their entry.

Instead, the team is likely to be called ‘Cadillac-Ferrari’, or something similar. From a marketing perspective, the luxury US brand carries far more weight.

This has helped to assuage F1 teams’ concerns that an 11th team will dilute the prize pot without adding value. Martin Brundle told Christian Horner not to ‘cry tears’ over earning a lower share.

However, as noted by RaceFans’ Keith Collantine on BlueSky, Ferrari subsequently issued a revised statement ‘which includes no mention of Andretti’ and exclusively labels them Cadillac. He suspects that Formula One Management ‘will prefer this version’.

Guenther Steiner suspects one driver will snub Cadillac even with Ferrari power unit

Damon Hill has welcomed Mario Andretti’s role at Cadillac, with the 1978 world champion to serve as an advisor. In time, it will become clear how much authority he really wields.

Cadillac will continue to use the Andretti facility and personnel at Silverstone, but the team has been repackaged. The added prestige, and the promise of a competitive Ferrari engine, may help lure in a big name for 2026.

Still, Guenther Steiner believes Yuki Tsunoda won’t be interested in Cadillac. His future is uncertain as backers Honda prepare to split with Red Bull, but his priority for now will be securing a spot next to Max Verstappen.

Sergio Perez could be an option for Cadillac if he loses that drive. He started his career in Ferrari-engined machinery with Sauber in 2011.