Ferrari will supply engines and transmissions to the new GM/Cadillac Formula 1 team starting in 2026, subject to the FIA and F1 accepting and approving the eleventh team to race in the F1 World Championship Grand Prix series.
The news on this potential new F1 team is coming quickly, with F1’s conditional agreement made public in November and Graeme Lowdown’s appointment as the Team Principal announced last week. Negotiations have been active all year.
There is no firm date for a final decision about the new team, but F1 teams have been restricted from beginning development until January 1, 2025, of the new cars and power units for the next generation F1 race cars, which will be mandatory starting in the 2026 season. It may be that, in the interest of fairness and competitiveness, which the FIA is supposed to be all about, the final word will fall by the end of 2024.
Why this agreement matters to GM
One requirement for GM/Cadillac to sign on as the 11th team was reportedly that GM become an engine supplier by 2030. That means that other teams would theoretically be able to be GM customers. Until 2030, however, GM/Cadillac is free to use engines from other manufacturers—again, pending final acceptance by F1 and the FIA.
“We are thrilled to partner with Ferrari as the power unit and gearbox supplier for our Cadillac team, bringing together two remarkable legacies,” Graeme Lowdon said.
“Choosing the right power unit partner is crucial, and we trust in Ferrari’s passion, excellence and the exceptional capabilities of their people.”
Why the agreement matters to Ferrari
Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur stated his opinion that it is great to see the commitment of another American team, especially with F1’s growing popularity in the U.S.
“We are delighted therefore that we will be supplying the team with our power unit and gearbox as the basis of this technical collaboration,” Vasseur was quoted on F1.com.
“It means we will continue to have two ‘customer teams’ in the championship with all the benefits this brings in terms of technical development within Ferrari.”
