Toto Wolff and Christian Horner, the team bosses of Mercedes and Red Bull, will have to compete with other applicants for the Formula 1 money pots in the future.Image: IMAGO/Motorsport Images
formula 1
Owning a Formula 1 team is not only a fancy hobby for very wealthy entrepreneurs like Lawrence Stroll or Gene Haas, but also an attractive figurehead for established car brands.
Mercedes, Honda and Renault already adorn themselves with the high-speed image of Formula 1. While Honda and Renault build the engines for the Red Bull and Alpine racing teams, Mercedes has even had its own team since 2010. In 2026, Audi will also venture into the world’s fastest racing series.
New engine rules open the door to debutants
The season in three years is of great importance for many potential newcomers. Because then the new engine regulations will take effect and all teams will have to build new drives. So everyone starts from scratch.
2026 is expected to see the arrival of another big brand, which has now unveiled its launch ambitions.
Ten teams are currently competing in Formula 1, and there will probably be at least one more in 2026.Image: AP / Hussein Malla
We are talking about General Motors (GM). The American car manufacturer wants to start in Formula 1 with its luxury brand Cadillac and is joining forces with the racing team Andretti Global.
The two companies did not name an exact entry point in their digital press conference on Thursday. But team boss Michael Andretti, son of racing legend Mario Andretti, said: “We will be on the track as fast as it makes sense”. They are confident that it will be soon.
Michael Andretti and his racing team are already competing in Formula E and the IndyCar Series. Image: IMAGO/Andreas Beil
When GM and Andretti Global really get into Formula 1 depends on how much time “the following process” takes, they say. In order to speed up the development of the team, the engine will initially be supplied by an established manufacturer, according to the plan.
Money distribution is considered a point of contention
The team will then start under the name Andretti Cadillac. The entry of GM would increase the starting field of Formula 1 to eleven racing teams.
This shouldn’t make the established ones very happy. They don’t want to increase the premier class, which currently consists of ten teams – also because this initially reduces the income for each individual team. You would then have to share the proceeds from rights holder Liberty Media with one more team.
In addition to Haas, the racing team where the German driver Nico Hülkenberg is currently under contract, Andretti would be the second F1 team from the USA. The racing series is currently experiencing an unprecedented boom in the United States. Next year, three races will take place in the USA for the first time: Austin and Miami will be joined by Las Vegas.
Colton Herta is the big favorite for one of the Andretti cockpits. The 22-year-old comes from the USA and is already under contract with Andretti Autosport for the IndyCar series.
(with material from dpa and sid)
Bayern have been looking for a replacement for Manuel Neuer for a few weeks. The German international broke his lower leg while ski touring after the World Cup. The Bayern bosses then decided that they would bring a new goalkeeper to Munich, with whom they would contest the second half of the season.
