Formula 1: General Motors team set up to fail quickly?

The official announcement of General Motors' entry into Formula 1 for 2026 came last month, which shocked many people after it was believed that their chances had diminished completely whenMichael Andretti’s bid was rejected earlier this year. He later stepped down as Andretti Global's CEO.

Formula 1’s soon-to-be 11th team, backed by General Motors and Cadillac, officially plan to make their entry after paying a staggering $450 million anti-dilution fee, more than double the minimum anti-dilution fee of $200 million. That fee is set to be split among the current 10 teams, and prize money is set to be split 11 ways starting in 2026.

Their Formula 1 program has been working on a plan and structure for the team since long before their arrival was confirmed, and they plan to continue operating at full force developing their 2026 car in 2025. But there is just a year and a quarter before the 2026 season is presumably scheduled to begin.

Several factors can be disastrous

While there is a lot of excitement about the grid being expanded again, and with a second American team, the 2026 timeline is a cause for concern. Building a Formula 1 team from scratch is no easy task, and finding success is even more difficult.

One of the biggest concerns is the driver lineup. Cadillac’s options for 2026 seem plentiful at the moment, but not very promising. The candidates include a few IndyCar drivers, older drivers who have fallen out of favor in Formula 1, and some Formula 2 drivers.

While they seemingly flaunted their wealth with the anti-dilution fee, the cost cap era could pose issues to the team. Choosing drivers who are not particularly good could lead to accidents and millions spent on repairs, similar to how Red Bull and Williams have spent this season.

Another factor is personnel chosen for various purposes within the team. Aside from how good their driver lineup is, their personnel have to contribute massively to their success, which is why teams such as Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes have been able to stay at the top for elongated periods of time.

For Cadillac, building their team will be difficult, and we could see issues similar to those faced by Haas early on in their tenure, such as not tightening wheels enough during pit stops.

Additionally, a big question is whether Cadillac can attract talent from some of the top teams, especially for the car’s development. They may be able to attract some names with money, as people know their pockets are quite deep. But other than that, perhaps the only other reason someone may want to join Cadillac is for a bigger role with the opportunity to move upwards.

Without these key aspects, Cadillac may find themselves struggling immensely in their first few seasons in Formula 1. A string of poor seasons could result in them finding themselves in a situation similar to that which Lotus went through during the 2010s, and they were only on the grid for four seasons. Cadillac must be very careful in building their team, otherwise their failure will have a massive impact on proposed grid expansions for years to come.