General Motors just announced it is officially registered to be a Formula 1 power unit supplier starting in 2028 with the FIA and continued to express its commitment to supply an engine for the Andretti F1 entry.
Just last month, Andretti passed the first hurdle to being an official Formula 1 team, as the FIA approved its bid, but there’s still the matter of reaching an agreement with Formula 1 Management and commercial rights holder, Liberty Media. As previously reported, Andretti’s bid faces varying degrees of opposition from other teams on the grid, making the path forward a tricky one to navigate.
Regarding Cadillac’s announcement today, GM says it’s already begun development and testing of prototype technology for the Formula 1 power unit. Ultimately, GM sees this work bringing improvements to road cars in the areas of electrification, hybrid technology, sustainable fuels, high-efficiency internal combustion engines, advanced controls and software systems.
“We are thrilled that our new Andretti Cadillac F1 entry will be powered by a GM power unit,” GM President Mark Reuss, says. “With our deep engineering and racing expertise, we’re confident we’ll develop a successful power unit for the series, and position Andretti Cadillac as a true works team. We will run with the very best, at the highest levels, with passion and integrity that will help elevate the sport for race fans around the world.”
There is an asterisk to be applied to this announcement, though, because GM says its power unit will be ready in 2028, while Andretti intends to begin racing in Formula 1 sooner than that – perhaps as early as 2025. It’s not clear who would supply engines to the Andretti team before GM and Cadillac join the party, but there would be a gap between Andretti’s entry and the power unit being a GM power unit. New engine regulations go into effect for the 2026 season, which will give other teams a head start on developing their engines throughout multiple race seasons before Cadillac gets to the grid.
Source: www.autoblog.com