GM staying positive on Andretti Cadillac F1 bid

Despite the recent blow of their initial Andretti Cadillac entry application being rejected by Formula 1, General Motors remains steadfast in its support of the project.

The Andretti Cadillac saga began with the FIA giving a green light last October to the project’s entry, which paved the way for an additional review by F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and his team.

However, January 31st saw a sudden turn as F1 released a statement rejecting the application, raising concerns about the proposed team's added value to the sport and its competitiveness, particularly with the planned initial use of Renault power units.

However, GM and Andretti refuse to throw in the towel.

On Friday, speaking ahead of this weekend’s Daytona 500, Jim Campbell, GM's vice president of performance and motorsport, reaffirmed the automotive giant’s confidence and ongoing efforts with Andretti.

Campbell revealed their request for a meeting with F1 to discuss the apparent miscommunication surrounding an earlier invitation sent by F1 to Andretti in December.

• Read also: Alpine shuts the door on Andretti engine deal, for now

Looking beyond the initial setback, the statement by F1 did leave a glimmer of hope: while rejecting the current proposal, F1 did acknowledge the potential for a different outcome if Cadillac's own power unit becomes available in 2028 and transforms the team into a full-fledged works entry.

“In terms of our application with Andretti, we feel great about our application,” said Campbell.

“The FIA studied it against other applicants, and then gave our application a vote of confidence and approval.

“So obviously the FOM made their statement, and we have asked for a follow up meeting with FOM, and so we will work through that. We do believe between Andretti and Cadillac that we have got the capability of fielding a competitive entry.

“We are not saying that it is easy, but we do between our two organisations have examples in our history of where we have been successful in other motorsports categories, and that is true of Cadillac and Andretti.

“With that said, our joint teams are continuing to develop our car at pace. So, that is where we are at.”

Acknowledging the competitiveness factor as mentioned by F1 in its statement, Campbell assured that GM remains committed to constructive dialogue with F1 for a future Andretti entry.

“As I said, we believe in the application we submitted,” he said. “And in that application we articulated the abilities of both Andretti as a race team, and Cadillac as a manufacturing and engineering entity.

“So, we feel confident in the application and are asking for a meeting with FOM.”

In response to a question about whether Cadillac’s in-house power unit could be ready earlier than 2028, Campbell mentioned existing FIA regulations that dictate a 2028 debut.

“When you register to be a power unit manufacturer, there is a deadline to do that, and for us it was last June for 2028,” he said.

“If you wanted to develop an engine sooner, then you would have had to register the previous year for that. So, it’s simply a regulation.”

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