Formula 1: Top 2 candidates to supply engines to Cadillac in 2026

General Motors never had plans to produce their own power unit in Formula 1 right from the beginning. The initial choice for the American team was to use the Renault power unit, but that has now fallen through due to the fact that their Formula 1 engine program is shutting down. Even Alpine plan to switch to Mercedes engines in 2026.

As a result, Cadillac will have to finalize an engine supplier for their first few years in Formula 1 as a customer team. The decision will not be an easy one due to the engine design overhaul slated for 2026.

The common fear within the grid is that teams that currently have the best engines may not have the best engines in 2026. For example, Red Bull plan to end their partnership with Honda in favor of their in-house engine in collaboration with Ford, which is something to monitor.

Only two candidates are viable for Cadillac

Half of the grid plan to switch engine suppliers in 2026, which could make things even more interesting all around.

In terms of Cadillac’s options, only Honda and Ferrari make sense. The former plan to provide a power unit to Aston Martin after leaving Red Bull while the latter plan to continue to serve themselves and Haas. Sauber are currently powered by Ferrari, but they are set to be taken over by Audi.

Partnering with Red Bull/Ford or Audi would have a lot of risk attached, due to the fact that the 2026 season is set to be their first time producing Formula 1 engines. As for Mercedes, they already plan to produce power units for themselves and three other teams.

Mario Andretti recently confirmed that Ferrari is the preferred team. The selection does make sense, given the fact that the team’s advisor raced for Ferrari in Formula 1 over five daces ago. Andretti most definitely has the connections within Ferrari to strike a deal.

However, going with Honda would not be a bad option either. The quality of their engine and reliability has been top-tier. Their engine had a hand in Red Bull’s pushback to the top after they dropped Renault five years ago.

Nevertheless, Cadillac cannot go wrong when it comes to this decision. But one thing to keep in mind is that the next era of regulations is unfamiliar ground for all teams. Regardless of what teams already think they know, it will still be a hefty challenge. Andretti and the rest of the Cadillac Formula 1 team must carefully assess how they want this team to start out.