Tag: General Motors

General Motors told employees to come in late so they could watch the Lions in the NFC title game

General Motors doesn’t want its workers missing Detroit sports history.

The last time the Detroit Lions played in the NFC title game, the Soviet Union had only just recently fallen. Jay Leno wasn’t yet the full-time host of The Tonight Show. And Quentin Tarantino was still a relatively unknown director. So forgive Detroit sports fans if they want to revel in history as the Lions square off against the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday with a trip to Super Bowl 58 on the line.

General Motors is doing its part.

According to The Detroit Free Press, the famed automotive production company is letting its third-shift workers at its Flint, Michigan facility come in an hour later on Sunday night so they can watch the Lions. They are usually scheduled to start their shifts at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time, but the Lions play the 49ers at 6:30, which wouldn’t have left much breathing room for anyone sitting down to watch the game. Flint is the only Michigan GM plant that runs a third shift on Sundays, and delaying production is considered very abnormal.

Here’s an alert workers received from GM on Wednesday, per The Detroit Free Press:

“We recognize the Detroit Lions playing in an NFC championship game as a rare, unique opportunity that warrants this temporary schedule adjustment to allow employees to enjoy the game and to make it to work on time.”

That is so, so cool. GM is one of the major American institutions in automotive production. For the company to do anything to accommodate its Lions fan workers in light of the biggest game for the franchise in decades is just an awesome gesture.

Team bosses still wary of Andretti Cadillac despite power unit commitment

Multiple team bosses remain wary of the proposed Andretti Cadillac entry, despite General Motors committing to becoming a full power unit supplier from 2028 onwards. GM announced ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend that it registered with the …

Multiple team bosses remain wary of the proposed Andretti Cadillac entry, despite General Motors committing to becoming a full power unit supplier from 2028 onwards.

GM announced ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend that it registered with the FIA to produce its own power unit in just over four years’ time, when Formula 1 will be under new engine regulations. In the statement, the manufacturer confirmed it would be for the Andretti Cadillac team to ensure a full works effort, and Toto Wolff says it’s a positive step but still wants to see facts for how it would enhance the sport.

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“GM is one of the big players, no doubt,” Wolff said. “And I guess if they say they want to join the sport in ‘28, they’re serious about it and it’s a good commitment. But, you know, we need to see whether the commercial rights holder deems this to be a good entry or not.

“For many teams it is big dilution that can make the difference between big losses or less losses, and I haven’t changed my opinion on that.

“We haven’t seen any data, just to say it’s going be awesome. Where’s the case? What are the numbers? How much can we gain in popularity? What’s the name worth? How much more can the sport be attractive? What are the facts? And if those facts are positive, I have no doubt that F1 will consider that in that way.”

Williams team principal James Vowles had previously stated he’d welcome working with GM in future, but says he is still opposed to a new team entering F1.

“I can’t really comment much on it, I don’t know what the relationship is between those two entities,” Vowles said. “My comment was more that GM, I think, is a good company to bring into our sport. That was more what it was around and we have no discussions with them. But I just think they’re the sort of company, the sort of OEM, that will grow our sport as a result of things.

“But my view hasn’t changed on the addition of an 11th team. Fundamentally, it’s still around the finances of Williams, which is where my focus is.”

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur similarly says GM is welcome as the sport can easily accommodate more power unit suppliers, but that an extra team is a different matter.

“If the question is on GM, I think every single new engine supplier is welcome in F1,” Vasseur said. “But it’s not the same story as the 11th team. It’s two separate questions. I think the real question is on the engine supplier and we can have a new engine supplier.”

Andretti’s bid has had one constantly public supporter among the team principals in the form of McLaren’s Zak Brown, who is also positive about the GM news.

“We partner with GM in our IndyCar team,” Brown said. “They’ve got a great history in motor racing and the more power units in the sport, I think, the better.”

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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Associated Press reveals F1 asked General Motors to break off from Andretti

Formula 1 continues to be at odds with Andretti Autosport as Andretti attempts to become the sport’s 11th constructor.

The drama behind a potential 11th Formula 1 constructor remains present as ever.

Michael Andretti, the son of motorsport legend Mario Andretti and owner of INDYCAR’s Andretti Autosport, made a bid to be an F1 constructor and was recently accepted by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, or FIA. Now, though, Andretti requires approval from Formula 1 and its management group, and that step of the process has been — and remains — a whirlwind of controversy and ire between both sides of the process.

The Associated Press released a column on Monday, writing that F1’s vendetta against Andretti seems far more personal than team heads would imply. Those opposed to Andretti’s entry have cited a diluted prize pool as the main reason to deny them entry, but a tidbit from the article seems to point otherwise.

Andretti can make a case that keeping him out of F1 is indeed personal: Three different people with direct knowledge of the conversations confirmed to AP that F1 asked General Motors if it would partner with someone other than Andretti.

That certainly seems to point toward F1 having an Andretti problem and not a money problem. General Motors is set to pair with Andretti under the Cadillac umbrella for car design outside of the engine, and as of this moment, they haven’t taken up F1 on their supposed ask.

Whatever the problem is, it will have to get solved soon — if Andretti wants his team to be in Formula 1 by 2025, he’ll have to begin making preparations as soon as possible, and that can only happen once F1 approves his new entry.

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Liberty CEO Maffei open to expanding F1 grid, sees value in GM

Formula 1’s owners Liberty Media are open to expanding the current grid, with CEO Greg Maffei believing an American manufacturer like General Motors would be a positive addition to the sport. The FIA is currently analyzing the submissions from …

Formula 1’s owners Liberty Media are open to expanding the current grid, with CEO Greg Maffei believing an American manufacturer like General Motors would be a positive addition to the sport.

The FIA is currently analyzing the submissions from potential teams wanting to join the sport in future and will make its recommendations to F1 if it feels any are suitable. With confirmed entries from Andretti Cadillac, Hitech Grand Prix and Formula Equal – among other rumored interested parties – F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has previously given his opinion that 10 teams is the right number, but Maffei told the Walker Webcast that the Las Vegas circuit construction is taking place with expansion in mind and that he can see an agreement being reached with the right new entrant.

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“Yes, we have accommodated and that will not be a problem in Vegas,” Maffei said. “The real problem is the way the structure works today, there are probably four or five garages and paddock areas that would be difficult to put in an 11th bay. Maybe that’s solvable with money and time, but it’s not something that you snap your fingers and solve.

“The other issue is that the ten teams are splitting the profits that go to the teams, and dividing it 11 ways is not something they’re particularly enthused about. There is a mechanism where there’s a franchise fee where a new entrant would pay, we put that in place with the new Concorde Agreement, and frankly that was a huge change because historically there was no such thing as a franchise fee.

“In fact, the teams were not franchises. F1 had the right – with the (agreement) of the FIA – to add as many new teams as we wanted. But we really wanted to create value in those franchises, we wanted to make the teams worth money so that people would invest and create, hopefully, parity on the track.

“Now the teams are looking and saying ‘Wait a minute, we don’t want to divide 11 ways, we are very happy’ and whatever’s being proposed to pay as a franchise fee doesn’t compensate them enough for the dilution that they’re going to take for the 11the team.

“So I think in the right set of circumstances we would work to get the 11th team. Somebody who could bring a lot of value to the sport, a lot of value to the fans, because of their position in technology, their position as an OEM, their position in marketing – some combination of all that – you could imagine coming to some kind of an agreement. But it’s not without controversy, certainly among the ten teams.”

The anti-dilution fee currently stands at $200 million but RACER understands any new Concorde Agreement would be effective immediately and increase that number of create a clear buy-in point, a move partly strengthened by this week’s valuation of Alpine at just over $900m. While there have been questions over GM’s level of commitment as a partner to Andretti, Maffei believes the interest for a larger investment exists.

“Ford is invested in the Red Bull engine process and it’s not inconceivable Ford could get a bigger role. There was certainly talk that General Motors were interested around the Andretti bid for an 11th team, and I think there’s reasons to think that could come about.

“We’ve had other OEMs who could be very interesting as well. Porsche tried very hard to enter with Red Bull, BMW used to be in the sport – left in ’09 – so I think OEMs, we’re lucky that we have so many OEMs, as many as we’ve ever had, but having more OEMs and particularly an American one would certainly be a positive.”

70-year-old Yankees fan cries when GM calls with big news

Gwen Goldman got to be a New York Yankees’ bat girl 60 years after being turned down because of her gender.

Gwen Goldman got to be a New York Yankees’ bat girl 60 years after being turned down because of her gender.

50? 47? Here’s how long Tom Brady sees himself playing

Jori Epstein connected with Tom Brady and got his reaction to the Bucs GM saying he thinks he could play until 50. Brady revealed where his mindset is in how long he thinks he will play.

Jori Epstein connected with Tom Brady and got his reaction to the Bucs GM saying he thinks he could play until 50. Brady revealed where his mindset is in how long he thinks he will play.

How the NHL has evolved to keep its players safe on the ice

SportsPulse: Former NHL player and current GM of the Minnesota Wild Bill Guerin discusses the state of physicality in the league and how players are being taught at a young age how and when to hit.

SportsPulse: Former NHL player and current GM of the Minnesota Wild Bill Guerin discusses the state of physicality in the league and how players are being taught at a young age how and when to hit.