Cadillac is set to debut on the F1 grid for the 2026 season after the FIA and F1 approved the arrival of an eleventh team. However, the American team won’t be running its own engines when it first hits the track.
Ferrari will supply Cadillac with powertrains and gearboxes for the newcomers’ first three seasons. However, the FIA has now approved General Motors as an engine supplier from the 2029 season. This means the American giants will be able to power Cadillac and compete against giants like Mercedes and Honda.
General Motors approved to power Cadillac
Just two months after Cadillac was approved to join the grid in 2026, General Motors was named as the latest manufacturer to join F1. General Motors and TWG Motorsports, the parent company of Andretti Global, will develop the new engines. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem says this deal shows the global expansion of F1.
He said: “Welcoming GM Performance Power Units LLC. as an approved power unit supplier for the Championship starting in 2029 marks another step in the global expansion of Formula 1 and highlights the growing interest from world-class automotive manufacturers like General Motors.
“Their dedication to innovation, sustainability, and competition is fully aligned with the FIA’s vision for the future of our sport. It also strengthens our commitment to making motorsport more accessible and inclusive worldwide – welcoming new manufacturers, advancing technology, and connecting with a broader, more diverse fan base.”
This is good news for F1, which welcomes another manufacturer to the paddock. It will increase competition, which can only be good for the sport. The risk is joining late in the regulation cycle, as by 2030, there could be new engine regulations. They will need to hit the ground running with their power unit to make it worthwhile.
V10 engines are officially ruled out
F1 has decided against introducing V10 engines and will fully roll out the 2026 engine regulations. The F1 Commission confirmed the sport’s commitment to the new engine rules. These new regulations were agreed upon back in 2022, and the teams have spent a lot of money and time developing the new powertrains.
F1 Sticks to 2026 Engine Rules but Keeps V10s in Mind for the Near Future
Ferrari and Red Bull had reportedly liked the idea of bringing back the V10 engines for the first time since 2005. However, Mercedes, Audi and Honda were against it. The final nail in the coffin was General Motors joining the sport in 2029. To change the engine regulations would be unfair to General Motors, which is starting work to develop the new regulation engines.
However, V10 engines have not been fully shut down. While the idea of bringing them back into F1 was not backed, they could be brought in after the 2030 season. The FIA already has a task force looking into whether this could work. If results progress to show they can be run sustainably, teams who didn’t like the idea might be swayed towards it.
