Cadillac have confirmed they will be running Ferrari engines in their first two seasons in Formula 1 ahead of their entry in 2026.
The American brand are set to become the first 11th team on the F1 grid in 10 years as General Motors have taken over the failed Andretti bid and reached an agreement to get Cadillac into the sport.
The team are already making huge strides off the track to prepare for their arrival when the new technical regulations come into effect in 2026. Cadillac will operate out of Andretti’s Silverstone base as they work on bringing their own power unit to the sport in 2028.
In the meantime, the team have agreed a deal with Ferrari to supply them with engines in 2026 and 2027 before they transition into being a works team.
Ferrari’s initial statement referred to the new entry as Andretti Formula Racing, which was surprising considering that GM are set to drop the Andretti name entirely.
Ferrari issued a revised statement with ‘no mention of Andretti’, as Formula One Management will prefer the team to be exclusively known as Cadillac.
Cadillac want to profit from F1’s revenues as soon as possible rather than wait for 2028
With an 11th team on the grid, Cadillac will have to prove they can add commercial and sporting value to F1 and add more revenue to the sport so the existing 10 teams do not lose their share in the prize pot.
But the team are also looking to capitalise on the sport’s popularity in the US and its global reach to make profits themselves before becoming a factory team in 2028. This is why, according to journalist Chris Medland, Cadillac are running Ferrari engines for their first two years as they want to be a part of F1 ‘ASAP’ and begin turning a profit.
READ MORE: All to know about General Motors’ Cadillac F1 team from engine to drivers
When asked why Cadillac struck a deal with Ferrari, Medland said via the RACER Mailbag: “Because the sooner GM is in F1, the sooner it can profit from the revenues the sport offers. It will take a number of years to turn a profit after setting the team up, but right now F1’s in a strong place in the U.S. — and globally — and so they want to be part of it ASAP.
“You can also learn a lot from those first few years in terms of car design and development, to have more experience and data to lean on come 2028.”
Who will drive with Cadillac in 2026?
With an 11th team on the grid in 2026, two more seats will be available and speculation is already rife as to who will race with the team.
Mario Andretti wants an American driver alongside an experienced head at Cadillac, with numerous options available to them. Colton Herta is the favourite to be the American driver, but Gary Anderson thinks Herta makes too many mistakes in IndyCar to race in F1 – plus the 24-year-old has the issue of not having a superlicense.
There are several experienced drivers for Cadillac to consider in 2026. However, Guenther Steiner thinks Yuki Tsunoda is not interested in joining the team as he has his heart set on securing the second Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen.
Sergio Perez could be an option for Cadillac if he is sacked by Red Bull. The Mexican would not only offer experience as a six-time race winner but also marketability would be high, given his strong following in his native country.
