Cadillac joins F1 World Championship for 2026 season
- Cadillac will return to F1 in 2026
- This’ll mark the automaker’s return to Formula 1 after 70-odd years
- It will use Ferrari engine at first, and then manufacture its own
Published on Mar 10, 2025 at 1:37 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Mar 10, 2025 at 6:22 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Cadillac is ready for its long-awaited return to Formula 1 in 2026.
The American automaker, operating under General Motors, will finally be back to the pinnacle of motorsport after about 70 years.
It’s a marketing move, but also a strategic one.
This is because Cadillac wants to manufacture F1 engines as well, not just ‘borrow’ them.
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Cadillac will use Ferrari engines (at first)
We could write a book talking about Cadillac’s history in motorsport, but it wouldn’t be a very long one.
More to the point, the chapter about Formula 1 would only cover about two pages.
The American automaker competed in Formula 1 in the past, but only twice, racing in two GPs in the 1950s.
But now the American manufacturer, a brand most people generally associate with luxury and not performance, wants to be taken seriously.
In 2026, Cadillac will return to F1 and, at first, the team’s cars will be powered by Ferrari powertrains.
However, the company also stated the intention to start using its own engines by 2030.
The next few years in Formula 1: 2026 and beyond
These days, a lot of people argue that F1 Championships are won by engineers, not drivers.
The translation? Even the best driver in the world can’t win unless he’s got the best car on the grid.
With that in mind, we should probably keep an eye on Aston Martin.
The Formula 1 team recently hired Adrian Newey, who is by far the most successful F1 car designer ever.
With him at the helm, Red Bull won 13 titles.
The 66-year-old engineer left Red Bull in Summer and took the time to design the spectacular RB17, below, hypercar before joining Aston Martin.
Having said that, there’s no getting away from the fact that all eyes will be on Ferrari.
There’s immense pressure on Ferrari every year, partly because they’re the biggest name in F1, partly because they haven’t won anything in nearly two decades, and now because of Lewis Hamilton.
Lewis Hamilton left Mercedes to join Ferrari and so far we’ve seen a lot of icing but no cake yet.
For him, the mind-blowing salary and the record-breaking picture he shared to Instagram are the icing, but none of that will matter unless he also delivers the cake.
And, at Ferrari, the only acceptable cake is a win.
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