Cadillac and Andretti team up for F1 bid
You know what F1 really needs? Cadillac. And with a British outpost already mooted, it seems deadly serious
So it’s not happening just yet. Andretti Cadillac - already a great sounding team name - isn’t officially an F1 outfit or close to being one. But it has confirmed that it will ‘submit an Expression of Interest when the FIA opens the formal process’. Assuming nothing holds them up, though - you’d have to hope it would be green lights all the way to the starting grid - the Andretti Cadillac team will be in F1 ‘as soon as practical with at least one American driver’. How exciting.
Andretti Autosport is known around the globe as one of the greatest single-seater outfits going, with six Indy 500 victories to its name as well as four Indycar titles, five in Indy Lights and a CART championship. Cadillac has of course enjoyed considerable success in sportscar racing over the years, too; the DPi-V.R claimed a clean sweep of IMSA titles - Teams’, Constructors’, and Drivers’ - in 2017, 2018 and 2021. It’ll aim to do similar with that astonishing LMDh car, as well. Without wishing to get too ahead of ourselves, Andretti Cadillac sounds like a match made in heaven. There’s even talk already of a support facility in the UK alongside the US base.
Michael Andretti, son of Mario, notable racer himself and CEO of Andretti Global, said of the announcement: “We are continuing to grow Andretti Global and its family of racing teams and always have our eyes on what’s next. I feel very strongly that we are suited to be a new team for Formula One and can bring value to the series and our partners, and excitement for the fans. I’m proud to have GM and Cadillac alongside us as we pursue this goal. GM and Andretti share a legacy born out of the love of racing. We now have the opportunity to combine our motorsport passions and dedication to innovation to build a true American F1 bid.
They were sentiments echoed by GM President Mark Reuss: “We have a long, rich history in motorsports and engineering innovation, and we are thrilled with the prospect of pairing with Andretti Global to form an American F1 team that will help spur even more global interest in the series and the sport.” That last point is notable, with 2023 featuring three F1 races in the USA, the most ever, as interest in the sport grows exponentially Stateside. For that we can thank Liberty Media’s entirely new approach to broadcasting F1, and the enormous success of Drive to Survive, which has brought a new audience into the sport - including plenty from North America. It’s the ideal time, surely, for companies as well-known as Cadillac and Andretti to capitalise on that surge in interest. We’ll keep you posted.
Andretti is a good choice as Michael seems to know what he's doing and is not objectionable. I note someone like the Penske organization may have been a possible other partner though Roger himself stinks as a human.
I wonder if they ever sold all those toasters?
https://youtu.be/nwcZR86pK3Y
But Cadillac don't seem like an obvious fit for F1.
This is another team that will populate the back of the grid and together with Haas will demand changes to water down F1 further, so they can compete. Make it simple, easy, cheap.
Haas has not managed better than 8th in 7 years and Hass is one of, if not the foremost US racing force in the US.
Zak Brown spends his time trying to make F1 a more US sport (Miami - Monaco) rather than get on continuing to keep McLaren at the front of the grid. Before he took over they were a top 3 team, now they have made it once into 3rd since he took over and finished 5th this year.
The worst of many of Bernie's dubious decisions for F1 was selling it to Liberty.
No doubt fanboys will point to Ford / Ferrari in WEC. Goliath versus David. However that car was a Lola, developed for racing by Ken Miles, a Brit, designed by Italians and pit crewed by the best money could buy. When Ford designed their own car they killed Ken Miles and it failed.
Liking the prototype though.
GM needs to reinvent Cadillac, F1 is/has reinvented itself (and to a younger audience). Could be a very good match.
It does seem an odd additional barrier to entry, as if creating a team was not difficult enough anyway, just chuck in an extra £200M
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