'GM/Cadillac to Enter F1 Racing as 11th Team in 2026'

General Motors will officially enter Formula 1, as announced on Monday with an agreement reached in principle to join the American manufacturer in 2026.

The F1 grid will expand to 11 teams in 2026, after remaining at 10 teams since 2017.

Previously, F1 had rejected a bid from Andretti Global to partner with GM for an 11th team, but this did not mean that F1 was against expansion in general.

According to a statement on F1's website, discussions with General Motors and its partners at TWG Global have been ongoing, and F1 is pleased to move forward with the application process.

Tension had previously existed between F1 and Michael Andretti, who had aggressively campaigned for a team and criticized F1 for being "greedy." However, Andretti has since stepped back from his role in Andretti Global, and his father, legendary F1 driver Mario Andretti, has been named a director on the GM/Cadillac team's board.

In a statement, 84-year-old Mario Andretti expressed his excitement for the development, saying he is "absolutely thrilled" to still be involved in the sport at this stage of his life.

GM president Mark Reuss also commented on the news, stating that it is an honor for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world's premier racing series. He also emphasized their commitment to competing with passion and integrity, and to showcase GM's engineering expertise and technology leadership on a global stage.