General Motors’ Cadillac is knocking on Formula 1’s door, aiming to join the grid in 2026 as the sport’s 11th team. But it’s not a done deal yet.
The biggest hurdle? Money – and lots of it.
Right now, F1’s rules suggest new teams need to pay a massive $450 million entry fee. That’s meant to make up for the fact that existing teams would have to share their prize money with one more competitor.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff isn’t completely sold on the idea. He’s worried about how adding another team would affect everyone’s bottom line.
“We need to look at two things,” Wolff told Auto, Motor und Sport. “Do we lose more by splitting the pie eleven ways, or does having a global brand like Cadillac make up for it?”
He thinks the current $450 million entry fee isn’t enough to cover what existing teams would lose.
“Nobody’s really told me what Cadillac’s planning to do,” Wolff added. “We need to understand their commitment.”
But it’s not all doom and gloom from the Mercedes chief. He admits there could be real benefits if Cadillac goes all-in.
“If they come in as a proper factory team with a big marketing budget, that could really add value to Formula 1,” he said.
The final decision will come down to negotiations between General Motors and F1’s management in the coming months. They’ll need to figure out not just the entry fee, but how to make sure everyone – old teams and new – comes out winning.
For F1 fans, the prospect of seeing the iconic American brand joining the grid is exciting. But as with everything in F1, it all comes down to the details – and the dollars.
