F1 News: Andretti Autosport Confirm 2025 Car is in Development
General Motors has teamed up with Andretti Autosport to be a part of the Formula 1 grid in 2025. Named Andretti Cadillac, the team is currently "going hardcore" to design their F1 car.
However, GM still awaits confirmation of whether their bid to join Formula 1 with Andretti Global via the Cadillac brand is accepted by the FIA or not.
The executive director of competition for GM Motorsports Dr. Eric Warren, who heads the F1 project for the brand revealed that they anticipated a decision to be taken by the FIA by July 15. He told NBC:
“We’ve had some dialogue with the Formula One group earlier on. But at this point and time, it’s a formal process, so we’ve got to let it run its course.”
It seems like Andretti Cadillac's entry into F1 remains a mere formality since FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has hinted at strong chances of the team being accepted. He said that "GM is a heavyweight and when they come with Andretti, that’s good for all of us.”
In addition, the team has already begun its work of developing the F1 car for the 2025 season. This can most likely happen only when the team is pretty sure about their entry into Formula 1. Speaking on the matter, Warren said:
“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.
"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.”
When asked about how the talks began, Warren said that a General Motors board meeting last year on October 4 at the new Charlotte Technical Center in Concord, North Carolina made way for the F1 project. He revealed:
"It had been talked about before that, but that’s where the formal interest really came about. 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.”
Andretti team owner Michael Andretti had been looking to own an F1 team for almost two years. His global organisation recently laid out a 525,000-square-foot facility in Fishers, Indiana for its Indy NXT, IndyCar, IMSA teams, and the Formula 1 team.
Speaking about the roles GM and Andretti will be playing, Warren said that the Charlotte Technical Center would offer engineering and simulator support for F1, apart from Assisting Andretti in chassis, combustion, and aerodynamics from Warren, Michigan.
The recent podium finish for Cadillac at the 24 Hours of Le Mans could strengthen the team's bid, something that Warren believes. In addition, he says that GM's entry into Formula 1 would add value to the sport.
“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. 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.”
From the looks of it, Andretti Cadillac and the FIA have been waiting for the moment when they are officially a part of the Formula 1 grid. As more manufacturers bid to enter F1, it would be interesting to know what the existing teams think of it.