Formula One: General Motors says Andretti Cadillac effort in F1 can be competitive, developing car ‘at pace’
- GM and the Andretti camp still seething over how dismissive F1 was of team’s ability to put a competitive car on the racetrack
- Director of GM Racing Jim Campbell declines to answer if GM was ‘insulted’ by F1’s stance
General Motors has said work with Michael Andretti on a Formula One entry is “continuing to develop our car at pace” and it completely disputed F1’s assertion that an Andretti Cadillac effort would not be competitive.
General Motors partnered with Andretti in early 2023 in its request that F1 expand the current grid from 10 teams to 11 so Michael Andretti can field a truly American team in the globe-hopping motorsports series. At the time, GM was only committed to badge engines for Andretti.
Long after F1 sanctioning body FIA approved the Andretti application, GM then formally applied to become an official engine supplier in 2028.
In denying Andretti’s application last month, F1 said, among other things that it did not believe Andretti would be a competitive team; that the Andretti name does not bring the value to the series that Michael Andretti believes it would; and that getting on the grid in the next two years would be a challenge Andretti has never faced before.
F1 said it would be willing to reconsider an Andretti application when GM has an engine ready in 2028.
But both GM and the Andretti camp have been seething over how dismissive F1 was of Andretti Cadillac’s ability to put a competitive car on the racetrack. Asked about it at Daytona International Speedway, the director of GM Racing said the company remained steadfast in the strength of its application.