US automotive giant General Motors (GM) will be part of top-tier single-seater motor racing series Formula 1 (F1) after officially registering as a power unit supplier for the sport.
From the beginning of the 2028 season onwards, GM will be able to provide power units, which comprise the engine, exhaust, turbocharger, and other vital components, to F1 teams that choose to utilize them.
The entry by GM is heavily linked to the manufacturer’s brand Cadillac applying to join the F1 grid as its 11th side as part of the Andretti Cadillac F1 Team entry.
While Andretti, should it gain entry to the series, would join in either 2025 or 2026, GM would not be able to join until 2028, meaning that Andretti would not be able to produce power units in-house for its first two seasons.
GM will join a crowded field of power unit competitors from 2028, including Red Bull-Ford, Ferrari, Honda, Mercedes, Alpine-Renault, and Audi, and will be the second US power unit manufacturer on the grid after Ford.
New power unit regulations will be revealed for the 2026 season that may threaten to shake up the established order of the sport, meaning Andretti may have to tether its new entry to a relative unknown at the beginning.
Despite this, Andretti president Mark Reuss has stated that once GM does enter the sport in 2028, it will be competitive.
Reuss said: “We are thrilled that our new Andretti Cadillac F1 entry will be powered by a GM power unit. 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.”
Andretti Cadillac’s entry into the sport has been approved by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) governing body, however, it must still seek approval from F1’s promoters the Formula One Group (FOG), lest it fall at the final hurdle.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has previously stated his confidence that Andretti’s team will be approved, either from 2025 or 2026, but FOG president Stefano Domenicali has long been skeptical of having an 11th team on the grid.
It is possible though that having an in-house power unit manufacturer already confirmed will strengthen Andretti Cadillac’s chances of approval.
