Formula 1 looks set to accept an 11th team into the paddock in 2026 when a GM-backed Cadillac entry joins the grid.
After nearly a year of negotiations between F1 and Andretti, an announcement was made on Monday evening, confirming that General Motors had an application accepted to become the sport’s newest team.
The Andretti name is set to disappear from the newest American entry into Formula 1, with Cadillac expected to be the brand GM choose to continue the project with.
However, the work Andretti have done both in the US and at their Silverstone satellite base in the UK hasn’t been done in vain.
Getting an F1 team ready to join pre-season testing in 15 months is a monumental task.
Therefore, the 200-odd staff members who are already part of the Andretti F1 project and all of the work they’ve been doing behind the scenes will be the basis of the team’s first car.
GM’s application has been universally well-received since the news broke and Sky Sports F1 pundit and former driver Karun Chandhok has echoed those thoughts on social media.
However, he has been left surprised by one aspect of the deal that doesn’t give the rebranded team much time to get ready to be on the grid.
Karun Chandhok surprised by how fast Formula 1 u-turned on accepting Cadillac team
The last team to be accepted into F1 as a new entry was Haas back in 2016.
The Anglo-American outfit had a much longer run into their debut in Formula 1 and used the maximum number of parts possible from Ferrari, with Dallara building their chassis.
It’s not clear how much outside involvement Cadillac will want in the project, but they will need a power unit to be provided for them until GM’s own engine is ready.
The original timeline suggests that GM’s power unit would be ready by 2028, although the official press release said that it was aiming to be available by the end of the decade.
READ MORE: What F1’s newest team could be called in 2026 after General Motors breakthrough
Reacting to the news on social media, Chandhok said: “This is great news for F1!
“As I’ve been saying for the last 18 months, more cars on the grid is good for the sport and especially for new drivers coming in.
“The speed of the U-turn from F1 is a surprise – only a few months ago they were adamant that there was no deal!”
Cadillac is entering one of the toughest F1 driver markets yet in 2026
As long as Cadillac’s entry doesn’t face any more hiccups, there will be 22 cars on the grid.
However, they won’t be the only new entry, with Audi taking over the current Sauber team.
They will also be joining at the same time as a wide-sweeping set of new regulations make their debut which are set to mix up the order of merit in the sport.
READ MORE: Ted Kravitz says General Motors could hire brand-new driver Fernando Alonso loves if they secure F1 spot
Due to how much uncertainty surrounds F1 in 2026, nearly every team on the grid has acted this season to lock in their driver line-ups for that campaign.
George Russell is the highest-profile name out of contract in 2025, although Mercedes will have a host of options in his deal to prevent him from leaving if they want to retain him.
Cadillac have missed out on the action in the driver’s market this year, meaning they need to recruit from outside the current grid or start looking at the best youngsters in F2 and elsewhere without a seat.
The likes of Valtteri Bottas, Kevin Magnussen and Zhou Guanyu will be delighted that two more seats have become available, while every driver in F2 and F3 suddenly has an extra incentive to show their potential.
There may even be a more established driver elsewhere on the grid who senses the opportunity to jump ship and lead an exciting project elsewhere.
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