General Motors registers with FIA to become F1 power unit supplier in 2028

The move puts further pressure on Formula 1 to approve Andretti Autosport’s entry into the series.

General Motors and Andretti are continuing to put pressure on the Formula 1 Management Group.

GM announced on Tuesday that, under the branding of Cadillac, it has registered with the FIA to become a power unit manufacturer in F1 from 2028 onwards. The news comes a few weeks after Andretti Global was approved by the FIA to become the 11th new team on the grid in F1. Andretti is still awaiting approval from the FOM to solidify their F1 bid.

Formula 1 has been hesitant to allow another team into the sport due to what team principals have described as a monetary issue — with more teams on the grid, prize pools at the end of the year would get distributed in smaller amounts and thus reduce payouts. The pressure has been on from the FIA to allow Andretti Global in, and it’s possible that GM’s application could help the process. With a promise that the team will eventually be paired with another engine manufacturer, F1 president Stefano Domenicali could be more easily persuaded to accept Andretti’s bid.

As expected, the FIA has reacted positively to the news. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem tweeted on Tuesday that he was “delighted” with the news that GM is set to enter the sport in the near future and that their presence is good for the sport as a whole:

Should GM indeed join the fray and no one else back out, F1 could be set to have seven different engine manufacturers by 2028 — Red Bull Powertrains/Ford, General Motors, Ferrari, Renault, Mercedes, Audi and Honda are all set to be in the sport once 2028 comes around at the moment.

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