General Motors to join the F1 grid in 2026

There are two races left in the Formula 1 (F1) season - in which Dutchman Max Verstappen has already claimed the world championship - but a new development for the 2026 season has already been announced. From that year on, the starting grid will feature two more single-seaters that will be part of the new team, GM/Cadillac.

F1 reported that it has reached an agreement with General Motors (GM) to become the eleventh team in motorsport's premier class from 2026.

A deal that has been reached after the Grand Circus -as F1 is popularly known- assessed the commercial viability of this entry and considered it opportune to continue expanding the brand across the United States.

"With Formula 1's continued growth plans in the U.S., we have always believed that welcoming an impressive U.S. brand like GM/Cadillac to the grid and GM as a future power unit supplier could bring additional value and interest to the sport," detailed a communication by Greg Maffei, chairman of Liberty Media Corporation. the company that owns F1.

From F1 management, its president and CEO, Stefano Domenicali also spoke: "The commitment of General Motors and Cadillac to this project is an important and positive demonstration of the evolution of our sport. We look forward to seeing the progress and growth of this application, confident of the full collaboration and support of all parties involved."

Also the president of GM, Mark Reuss, who assured that it is an honor that the second most important factory in the country can "demonstrate engineering expertise and technological leadership at a whole new level."

F1, increasingly important in the U.S.

Since the inception of F1 in 1950, there is no continent that has not hosted at least one grand prix. And, specifically, many countries have been involved in motorsport's premier class. Several of them have or have had two or more circuits spread across their geography: Spain, the United Kingdom, Japan, France... But there is one that leads the ranking: United States.

Despite the fact that in the country there are other modalities of great relevance - such as the Indianapolis 500 or the Daytona 500, for example - F1 has always had a prominent presence.

In the history of F1, as many as eleven cities have hosted a grand prix: Austin (Texas), Las Vegas (Nevada), Detroit (Michigan), Dallas (Texas), Indianapolis (Indiana), Long Beach (California), Miami (Florida), Phoenix (Arizona), Riverside (California), Sebring (Florida) and Watkins Glen (New York).

Currently, the calendar has three grand prix in the United States: Austin, Las Vegas and Miami.

Also noteworthy is the country's contribution in terms of drivers, because up to 49 Americans have climbed into an F1 car. Some of the most prominent are Mario Andretti, Phil Hill or Dan Gurney. Right now, the grid has none; the last one was Logan Sargeant, last season.