2 weeks Ago By Elizabeth Blackstock
Cadillac F1 is making moves to join the F1 2026 grid with a Ferrari power unit until the General Motors brand is able to create its own in-house version. Now, though, there are talks that the US automaker may actually lean on Ferrari for additional assistance throughout its first few years in Formula 1, namely, that Ferrari would provide the team with suspension, too. It took 33 months for Andretti Global’s initial entry to join Formula 1 as an 11th team was accepted, and that provisional approval only took place after Michael Andretti stepped down and the Cadillac division stepped up.
Part of what made Cadillac so appealing to Formula One Management was the fact that the American automaker intends to design and build its own power units in the near future, making it a proper works operation. Thus, a Cadillac entry will offer F1 a critical entry point into the American market while also bolstering its own pool of manufacturer involvement. But that will take time.
Cadillac estimates it won’t have a power unit ready for production until the end of the decade. In the meantime, it has inked a deal with Ferrari to use the Prancing Horse’s power unit and gearbox. According to Motorsport.
com, though, the General Motors sub-brand could look to expand that deal in order to also source its suspension from Ferrari. Entering Formula 1 involves pinning down thousands of moving parts; each car is composed of around 14,000 different components, and Cadillac is also in the process of sourcing staff, setting up its race shops, hunting for drivers, and more. A potential suspension deal with Ferrari would allow Cadillac to dramatically reduce the number of moving parts it has to deal with in order to enter F1 in 2026 while also guaranteeing that the suspension on its car will be well suited for its PU.
👉 Cadillac F1: Everything you need to know about the new 11th team 👉 Six classic US mistakes Cadillac should learn from According to reporting from Motorsport.com , Cadillac is still evaluating its options and has not committed to any further assistance from Ferrari — but that simply buying suspension could be a smart call. After all, we’ve seen how well a similar approach worked for Haas when it first entered Formula 1 in 2016; sourcing a large number of its components from other manufacturers allowed the Kannapolis-based team to focus, first and foremost, on developing a chassis, signing drivers and personnel, and getting up to speed.
The critical difference here is the fact that Cadillac intends to become a works team in the future, which naturally means that its use of Ferrari componentry likely won’t last for more than a few years. Haas isn’t the only team to outsource some or all of its suspension; Racing Bulls gets its suspension from Red Bull, while Aston Martin receives its rear end from Mercedes. Read next: Cadillac is relying on its motorsport heritage to carve a path into the future.
