Cadillac could be putting the final touches to their first Formula 1 car in just 12 months, but they’ve still got a huge amount of work to do.
After Formula 1 rejected Andretti’s application to join the sport, it appeared as though the grid would be staying at 20 cars for a little while longer.
However, that all changed in November 2024 when Cadillac reached an agreement in principle to enter F1 in 2026.
The General Motors-backed outfit will use a lot of the groundwork Andretti started to get them up to speed.
But it leaves them with a huge amount of work to do to be ready for a new set of regulations arriving next year.
Mario Andretti’s name may no longer be entering Formula 1 directly, but the former world champion will still act as an advisor heading into 2026.
Andretti has admitted he’d love to sign Max Verstappen but that’s wildly unrealistic and he knows it.
However, he’s not the person at the very top of his wishlist of Formula 1 personnel.
In an interview with F1 Maximaal, Andretti admitted that Adrian Newey would be a game-changing signing for any team on the grid.
He’s currently waiting in the wings to begin work at Aston Martin and Andretti was incredibly positive about the impact he could have in Lawrence Stroll’s team.
Mario Andretti would sign Adrian Newey for Cadillac ‘in a heartbeat’
Andretti admitted that he is aware that Newey won’t join Cadillac as he prepares to start life at Aston Martin.
However, he explained that he wouldn’t hesitate if given the chance to hire him and said, “I would hire him in a heartbeat if I could.
READ MORE: F1 team boss sent his staff home to keep Adrian Newey factory visit a secret
“I’ve worked with the guy, so I know him well, and I know how talented he is.
“I’ve had the opportunity to work with a lot of people in my career, and he’s by far the best I’ve ever worked with. We’ve gotten results together.
“Adrian would give a driver an immediate advantage, just by his presence. You can see how much I appreciate his talent.
“He is really unique in that respect. He not only makes the car fast, but he also gives a driver confidence, because he speaks the language of the drivers.”
Adrian Newey has his work cut out at Aston Martin after disappointing 2024 season
Aston Martin started the 2023 season looking like Red Bull’s closest rival with Fernando Alonso securing six podiums during the first eight Grand Prix.
However, they failed to develop their car sufficiently last year and ever since then every step they’ve taken has appeared to be in the wrong direction.
Newey is likely to only be working on their 2026 car which could make Aston Martin one of the benchmarks for Cadillac to reach.
READ MORE: All to know about General Motors’ Cadillac F1 team from engine to drivers
It’s hard to believe Lawrence Stroll won’t ask Newey to look over this year’s car when he starts to see if he can identify any crucial problems that could hamper Alonso and Lance Stroll, although Newey’s opinion of Lance Stroll has been brutal, to say the least.
Cadillac won’t be worrying about what Newey’s doing at Aston Martin or any other technical chief with so many things they have to achieve themselves between now and the 2026 season starting.
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