Formula 1: How Cadillac Managed to Become the 11th Team

The Formula 1 will have a 11th team on its grid starting in 2026, and it will be branded under the American manufacturer Cadillac.

It’s been nearly two full years since the name Andretti has been quietly circulating in the Formula 1 paddock. The Italian-American family aims to join the ultra-exclusive F1 club, which has long dragged its feet in response to the requests of this candidate team.

However, Andretti was much cleverer in this game of chess and managed to win the match, earning a guaranteed spot from 2026. How? It’s simpler than it seems for those who take the time to analyze the situation.

Since 2017, Formula 1 has been the priority of an American investment fund, Liberty Media, specializing in media and entertainment. The fund needs to grow a business before selling it a few years later for a profit. A part of the proceeds from the sale will be paid to lenders… and the rest kept by Liberty Media.

Once this premise is understood, it’s urgent to expand the Formula 1 business for its eventual sale. One of the most effective strategies for this is the deployment of new Grand Prix races in the United States, where popularity has so far been relatively low.

The brilliant idea—again tied to the media world—was to commission Netflix to create a series about the behind-the-scenes of Formula 1. The show has been huge, and the entire planet is falling in love with this sport. Liberty Media is thus expanding the American calendar from one to three races per year (Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas). The goal is to fill the stands and maintain this momentum. This is where Andretti will make a decisive move.

Rather than applying alone, Andretti—whose name is legendary in the United States as the family of the 1978 Formula 1 World Champion Mario Andretti— will convince a major American manufacturer to join him. This is Cadillac, a luxury brand in the catalog of the giant General Motors. From there, how could one refuse the arrival of such an alliance Andretti-Cadillac, which will certainly generate buzz and invest millions of dollars in communication?

Liberty Media wanted to be in control of the choice for the 11th team to enter the Formula 1 license. They were ultimately overridden, which promises to cause many more controversies in the coming months before Cadillac’s official entry in 2026. Popcorn, please.

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