Validation of Cadillac's entry into F1 "should not be long in coming" assures Domenicali

It was last November 26th: after months of struggle, a refusal and many reservations, Andretti-Cadillac's bid was finally accepted by Formula 1 and Formula One Management (FOM). The Andretti name had been erased in favor of the American manufacturer, to emphasize the fact that this project is supported by the General Motors group and to "convince" the discipline and its players to approve the arrival of an eleventh team on the grid.

Since November 26, not much has happened on a purely administrative level. If Cadillac continues to prepare for his arrival in Formula 1 behind the scenes, with the launch of its F1 engine department (expected in 2028), the mass recruitment of engineers at the Fishers (Indiana) plant and at the Silverstone branch, and a restructuring of its organizational chart, officially, nothing is yet set in stone for the Detroit firm. More than three years after the public acceptance of Cadillac's candidacy, with an agreement in principle between the two parties, the FOM has still not officially approved the expansion of the grid to this eleventh team.

However, for Stefano Domenicali, the situation should be resolved quickly and official validation is expected shortly from the FOM. "There is the formality of the process that is almost ready. In collaboration with the FIA, there must be an update and as soon as it is ready - which should not be long - there will be an update to formalize what has already happened. [The Cadillac team] will therefore be ready to fight against the other teams next year.", assures the president of Formula 1.

A long delay that is not linked to the Concorde Agreements

The long validation period for Cadillac's entry into Formula 1 is in any case not linked to the Concorde Agreements: Stefano Domenicali specifies that there is " no impact on current discussions regarding the Concorde Agreements", even though this subject had been one of the points of reluctance on the part of the ten other teams concerning the arrival of an eleventh team on the grid.

“The Concorde Agreements are made up of two major elements: the first is the financial aspect related to commercialisation and marketing. This discussion is between us and the teams and we are in a good position on this point. The other subject concerns governance. Of course, we have to work with the FIA ​​and the teams, and on this point, we are working to respect the dates, explains the Italian. There is no time pressure because we all work as partners and we want to find the best solution for the sport. This is something we will do even with one more team in the future, because of course Cadillac will be part of it and it will have a voice like the others in the future.

While we can still wonder about the length of this drawn-out process for a candidacy launched in October 2023 and validated more than three months ago, Stefano Domenicali assures that nothing has changed on the FOM side since November. Doubts about the added value brought by Cadillac in Formula 1 have been dispelled according to the Italian manager, who is now eager to see the new American team on the track despite strong reluctance during the first months of negotiations, at the beginning of 2024.

"It is important to clarify this position. We have always said that Cadillac gives and will give an incredible boost to the Formula 1 ecosystem. We were referring to other situations that have been managed before, but today the situation is totally different, F1 president confides. They are doing everything to show how Cadillac is really involved in the sport. General Motors (…) wants to be a real manufacturer that will invest in our sport because they believe in the technology platform that F1 can bring to their system. So I am very happy that this team is now on board, moving forward, and I look forward to seeing them on the track with the other teams to fight in a major championship.

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