FERRARI POWER 'THE OBJECTIVE'

Andretti says GM's proposed engine deal with Italian giants 'will be best of all worlds'

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NEW YORK - General Motors is coming to the Formula One grid in 2026 with a team branded GM/Cadillac, but that does not mean the cars will be all-American.

Mario Andretti, who was named to the team's board of directors, said that the GM/Cadillac team are hopeful for a deal with Italian powerhouses Ferrari for their power units.

"That's what we're talking about," he told NBC News on Nov 26. "That's not definite yet, but that's the objective. And that's the preference."

While GM/Cadillac will have a place on the grid beginning in 2026, General Motors is not yet a power unit manufacturer for F1 and is targeting 2028 to begin providing them. The team will have to use another company's engines in the meantime.

This means that GM/Cadillac will need to buy an engine for 2026 and 2027, with Ferrari seen as a leading candidate given that they will have a spare supply when Sauber become Audi.

GM/Cadillac, meanwhile, has also already assembled a team to work on aerodynamics, chassis and component development, software, and vehicle dynamics simulation.