Formula 1 isn't one of Auto123's main areas of interest. However, when a manufacturer mentions that they want to enter it, it becomes interesting from a development point of view.
And it's even more interesting when it's an American company like General Motors (GM).
Today, the American giant confirmed its intention to create a Formula 1 team with Andretti Global, whose president is former racing driver Michael Andretti, son of the legendary Mario Andretti, winner of 12 Grand Prix in his career and World Champion in the 1978 season.
The manufacturer also announced its intention to develop the team's powertrain.
In anticipation of all this, GM said it has formally registered with the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile), F1's governing body, to become a powertrain supplier by the 2028 season.
GM has already begun working on and testing the technology it plans to use on prototypes. It wants to use some of the lessons learned from developing the F1 powertrain to develop engines for its proposed cars.
And that's the point of news like this. It's easy to criticize F1 for all sorts of reasons, including the quality of the spectacle it offers and its elitist nature, but the fact remains that it remains a great platform for development. Areas that could benefit, according to GM's announcement, include hybridization, sustainable fuels, thermal efficiency and software control systems.
A new powertrain will be introduced to Formula 1 in 2026. It will be similar to the current one, whose configuration combines a 1.6-liter turbo V6 and hybrid systems. The traditional powertrain is expected to produce less power, but the hybrid system will compensate with better performance.
Once again, these are advances that could benefit the industry we're interested in.
In January, GM first announced its intention to join forces with Andretti to form the new Andretti Cadillac team. In October, the plans took a major step forward when the FIA approved Andretti's F1 bid.
Andretti Cadillac is expected to race before the arrival of the GM engine in 2028, with rumours suggesting the team could initially use a Renault engine.
However, Andretti Cadillac has yet to confirm its place on the grid. The next step will be to convince Liberty Media, which owns the commercial rights to F1.
It should be noted that Ford is set to return to the discipline in 2026 as the technical partner of the dominant team, Red Bull Racing. Audi would also make its first appearance in 2026, taking control of Sauber, currently Alfa Romeo.