Racing legend Mario Andretti is looking forward to the birth of the Cadillac Formula 1 team. The joining of the grid as the sport’s 11th team will give him a sense of home within the F1 paddock – something he hasn’t felt in a long time.
After winning the F1 championship in 1978, the former driver will now sit on the board of the new American team, set to join the grid in 2026 on the turn of the regulations.
In a recent discussion with ESPN, Andretti is looking forward to creating a home on the grid as he helps build the team after success in the likes of IndyCar.
“As I came out of the cockpit, the best thing is that my son Michael [Andretti] was continuing even when he stepped out of the cockpit as an owner. So I felt that I had a home when I went to the races, not just that [I] arrived there as a spectator or so forth,” Andretti said.
“And that’s what I like about the situation that we will have in Formula One, finally I could go to a Formula 1 race and I will have a home, a place to be where, the team, that’s part of us.”
Obviously Andretti is personally connected to this project, with him having a connection to the sport regardless of his affiliations.
Getting Cadillac onto the grid was a lengthy process, with the confirmation only coming in March of this year. The General Motors-backed team has been accepted onto the grid, but this came after a rejection of the Andretti Global project in early 2024. After major restructuring and the stepping down of Michael Andretti, the Dan Towriss-led organisation now looks forward to a powertrain partnership with Ferrari.
Cadillac F1
Photo by: FIA
“The goal was to get an American team on the starting line, and we achieved that,” Mario Andretti told Auto Motor und Sport. “Michael is happy too, although he has withdrawn from the project. He simply said, ‘If I am the obstacle, then I will clear the way’.
“Looking back, we could certainly have done some things better. But I never look back, always forward. In the end, all that matters is whether you reach the goal.”
The last piece of the puzzle comes in the driver selection. Sergio Perez has been floated for a seat, as has Colton Herta. This is yet to be confirmed, although Mario Andretti has confirmed his interest in the Mexican driver recently.
