Cadillac faces ‘monumental task’ to be competitive for 2026 arrival in F1, warns Aston Martin boss

LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) - General Motors and Cadillac face a "monumental task" to get ready to compete in Formula 1 for 2026, even if they could in theory get a head start on some design work, leading series figures said on Friday.

The announcement on Monday that General Motors’ Cadillac brand will be joining the grid as the 11th team from 2026 has been broadly greeted by drivers.

In theory, Cadillac could benefit from being on the outside as F1 prepares for major rule changes to cars and engines for 2026. Existing teams are banned from conducting crucial work on 2026 designs, like aerodynamic tests in a wind tunnel, until Jan. 1.

"It's a monumental task to try now setting up a team for 2026, with also a completely different set of regulations," Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack said at the Qatar Grand Prix. "So even if there was a small head start, I think it will balance out very quickly."

Williams team principal James Vowles said he expected GM to come under F1 cost cap restrictions from next year as it prepares to join, and that an extra hurdle would be that some regulations on aerodynamics are not yet final.

"As much as you can consider 2024 as being a space where you could have a head start, by the time Jan. 1 turns up then everything will be well controlled by the regulations and the task is still huge after that," RB team principal Laurent Mekies said.

There has been plenty of speculation about what the GM-backed team has been up to as it prepares to join the grid. Last year, when Michael Andretti was still the face of the project, the team built a car to 2023 regulations for wind tunnel testing. GM, which is hiring staff for a facility near the Silverstone circuit in England, is expected to use Ferrari engines until its own Cadillac engine is ready in 2028.

Team principals are seeking clarity on some details, like the exact finances of compensating the existing teams for a reduced slice of revenue. Vowles said having GM as the focus was "a different significance" to the earlier Andretti-focused version of the bid.

"It's just a sign of the growth, a sign of where Formula 1 is going," Vowles said on Friday of GM's arrival. "What I've said all the way through is it will have financial loss for existing teams. What we have to do now is grow the sport sufficiently and from need to be aware of that in order to make things good for everyone."

For drivers potentially facing the end of the road in F1, Cadillac’s arrival could mean a fresh opportunity, and a new team is welcome.

"That just increased the chances of getting a seat for ’26,” said Valtteri Bottas, a 10-time race winner who’s leaving Sauber at the end of the season and is close to agreeing on a deal to be the Mercedes reserve for 2025.

Bottas added this week he’d like to reach out to Cadillac to discuss a 2026 role but "you know for sure I'm not the only one. Of course it's interesting to me and I think it's great for F1. It's a great brand and GM is a big backer behind."

Another driver seeking a seat is Bottas’ Sauber teammate Zhou Guanyu, the first Chinese driver in F1. "If there's a chance to grab, I will absolutely take it," he said.