F1 has left Cadillac with a ‘super difficult’ realisation that disadvantages their long-term plans

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Formula 1 will boast 11 teams on the grid for the first time in a decade with Cadillac joining the party in 2026, and the team’s plans are now beginning to come together.

F1 has not had a field of 22 cars since Haas joined the grid in the 2016 term, but Cadillac are coming in a big year for the world championship. The General Motors brand will debut as F1 overhauls its regulations in 2026, for which they have been hard at work for several months.

GM only secured final approval from F1 to join the field this March. But Cadillac had already been working on their first F1 car since November after taking over the failed Andretti entry. Andretti had also already established a factory in Silverstone, which Cadillac have embraced.

Team principal Graeme Lowdon and executive engineering consultant Pat Symonds oversee the development of Cadillac’s 2026 car in Silverstone. Lowdon is also closing in on their first driver with Cadillac set to sign Valtteri Bottas, while talks to land Sergio Perez also continue.

F1’s cost cap rules stop Cadillac from sharing Andretti’s Formula E battery technology

But Bottas and the 2026 F1 regulations are not Cadillac’s only focus, as General Motors has committed to producing a factory engine for the 2029 season. Cadillac will buy power units from Ferrari from 2026 to 2028, before a works GM engine is expected to hit the 2029 grid.

READ MORE: All to know about General Motors’ Cadillac F1 team from engine to drivers

The production of Cadillac’s works General Motors F1 engine has not been faultless at their Charlotte Technical Centre in Concord, North Carolina, however. F1’s cost cap rules have put a halt to Cadillac’s desire to utilise the TWG Group also owning the Andretti Formula E team.

Andretti Formula E team principal Roger Griffiths told RacingNews365: “Certainly, in the early days, we had those conversations. But there’s one thing that’s causing a massive headache that’s kind of preventing all of that, and that’s the cost cap.

“The way the Formula 1 cost cap is administered, it makes it super difficult to have that joint support, transfer of information [and] transfer of technology.

“There needs to be really clear boundaries between the various programmes. And I think that’s going to make it very difficult. I mean, it doesn’t prevent us from talking, certainly, I’ve had a number of [conversations].

“Ultimately, my boss, [TWG Global’s motorsport CEO] Dan Towriss, is responsible for all of the programmes. So, we talk about how things could work together. We have good relationships.

“But I think that the reality is it’s going to be super difficult because of the cost cap regulations. It clearly defines how entities can work together within an inter-company arrangement. It’s going to be quite tough.”

Andretti FE’s help could have levelled the playing field for Cadillac’s works GM F1 engine in 2029

Cadillac could have stood to gain a potential advantage with their factory General Motors F1 engine in 2029 by being able to tap into the Andretti Formula E team’s expertise in electrical battery technologies. It could have also helped GM to level the playing field with rival teams.

General Motors has given itself until 2029 to design Cadillac’s works engine, given the sheer complexity of a Formula 1 power unit. It was also a crucial aspect of GM’s application to put Cadillac on the grid that the automotive giant committed to a factory F1 engine programme.

F1 initially rejected Andretti’s application but accepted GM’s bid to bring its luxury car brand to the pinnacle of motorsport after the American manufacturer reconstituted the team into Cadillac. Now, GM will also rival the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes with a power unit in 2029.