GM Motorsports expects to know in about 10 days if its bid is accepted to join Formula One with Andretti Global via the Cadillac brand.
Dr. Eric Warren, the executive director of competition for GM Motorsports, has led the F1 effort for the automaker and recently told NBC Sports that a decision was anticipated by July 15. The FIA, which sanctions F1, opened the process for considering new teams in February and has been the primary contact for Warren.
“We’ve had some dialogue with the Formula One group earlier on,” he said. “But at this point and time, it’s a formal process, so we’ve got to let it run its course.”
The Associated Press reported Wednesday the Andretti-General Motors bid was among more than five “expressions of interest” for joining F1. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem indicated to the AP that Andretti had a strong chance at acceptance."GM is a heavyweight and when they come with Andretti, that’s good for all of us,” Ben Sulayem told the AP.
Andretti Global had announced its desire to race F1 with the Cadillac brand in January, and GM has been working hard on the project since then.
“We’re spending a lot of effort going through the process, and the hard part is we’re trying to race in the 2025 season, so we’ve been going hardcore with Andretti to design the ’25 car,” Warren told NBC Sports. “We’ve been working on that because time is wasting. The application was May 15. Andretti Cadillac is the team name.
“It was probably surprising to those who read the application how much involvement GM really has and where we’re splitting up the vehicle dynamics and how we’re doing it today vs. how we’re going to do it as the team matures. So really we’ve just responded back to questions that the FIA has, and they’re supposed to make a decision July 15. So we’re really just doing our best with the process and having discussions where we can. But it’s been pretty formal in the sense of requests for information and responding.”
Warren said the F1 project grew out of a General Motors board of directors meeting last Oct. 4 at the new Charlotte Technical Center in Concord, North Carolina.
“It had been talked about before that, but that’s where the formal interest really came about,” Warren said. “And honestly from a business standpoint, you look at the growth of F1 and number of eyeballs on it, and us building the Cadillac brand, it’s a natural fit. There are a lot of sports people, or those familiar with sports, on the board. There’s knowledge about F1.
“I was excited actually because I didn’t think I’d see it, but it’s just the timing and relationship with the Andretti Cadillac team. Everything kind of came together.”
Michael Andretti publicly has been trying to acquire an F1 team for nearly two years. His Andretti Global racing organization recently broke ground on a 525,000-square-foot facility in Fishers, Indiana, that would house its IndyCar, Indy NXT and IMSA teams with room for F1.
Warren said the Charlotte Technical Center also would offer engineering and simulator support for F1 (buttressing its work with NASCAR and IndyCar teams). GM also would assist Andretti in aerodynamics, chassis and combustion from a base in Warren, Michigan,
Warren believes Cadillac’s podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans could help strengthen its bid.
“We’re hopeful with General Motors getting in that and how we’re doing globally, it would be a really strong add to Formula One,” he said. “Our entire company, from the board of directors from the first time I was in the board meeting when it came up, the commitment is really there throughout the whole leadership. I’m sure any OEM in F1 has to have that given the magnitude of it. But it’s really impressive to see in General Motors, how much the company races. Which is part of the legacy and DNA. That’s going to bring a lot of value to Formula One.”
While leading GM’s F1 project, Warren has been delving into the manufacturer’s racing pursuits across the board by attending the Indy 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans (where GM also raced with the Garage 56 Camaro) and the World Endurance Championship race at Spa. He also has been involved in the Supercars series (and helping three-time champion Shane Van Gisenberg prepare before his historic victory at the Chicago Street Race).
“It’s a lot to take on, but at the same time, you see the patterns in all of it,” Warren said. “It’s still a car and about minimum lap time and engines and all those things. We’re able to recruit and bring in really good people because we are crossing over a lot of series. It’s really a unique time because there’s not many manufacturers, if any, racing in the number of series we do and certainly as closely as our group is doing it. That’s been exciting for sure.”
