General Motors Nearing Formula 1 Entry as Team Owner for 2026 Season

Dan Towriss assumed control of Andretti Global in late September. The American automotive manufacturer General Motors is reportedly nearing the final stages of securing an entry into Formula 1 as a team owner, commencing in 2026. High-level sources indicate that a team bearing the GM brand is progressing towards official designation as the 11th competitor on the Formula 1 grid. This development follows the unsuccessful endeavor by the Andretti organization to secure a position on the F1 grid for the current year. Dan Towriss, owner of Andretti, is present at the Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend, engaged in efforts concerning the entry. Sources indicate that this initiative will be exclusively a GM venture, with Andretti not participating once the team becomes operational. Formula 1 officials declined to comment, but it is understood that they regard this current proposal differently from the Andretti submission that was turned down in January. The initial application was spearheaded by Andretti co-founder Michael Andretti, a former Indycar and F1 driver, and was presented as an Andretti entry supported by GM’s Cadillac brand. GM had previously stated its intention to construct its own engine by 2028. The updated strategy involves GM entering as a team owner, and its commitment to developing its own power unit by 2028 would persist. Consequently, the new team would still be required to acquire customer engines from an existing supplier to bridge the period from 2026 onward. The specific brand GM intends to employ for this endeavor has not yet been clarified. A further significant distinction is that Michael Andretti no longer occupies any managerial capacity within the team he co-founded. An announcement in September confirmed that Towriss had assumed leadership of Andretti, and Michael had transitioned into an ambassadorial capacity. He was regarded by numerous individuals within F1 as a polarizing personality who had antagonized others through what was perceived as his confrontational method in attempting to gain an entry. Formula 1 is currently subject to an inquiry by the US Department of Justice concerning its decision to reject Andretti’s initial entry. Toto Wolff, the Mercedes F1 boss, stated in Las Vegas on Thursday: “If a team can add to the championship, particularly if GM decides to come in as a team owner, that is a different story.” He added: “And as long as it is accretive, that means we’re growing the popularity of the sport, we’re growing the revenue of the sport, then no team will ever be against it. So I’m putting my hope in there.” Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur commented: “The discussion is between FIA, the team and F1. It’s not our choice.” Vasseur continued: “For sure, if it’s good for the sport, good for the show, good for business, and adds value on the sporting side, we are all OK.”