Andretti Cadillac, F1 engine installed in Renault confirmed?[F1-Gate.com]

If Andretti Cadillac gets an F1 entry, it will likely start with Renault’s F1 power unit. The team is not targeting 2026 when the new F1 engine regulations are introduced.

Andretti Global and General Motors announced Thursday that they have partnered to compete in Formula 1 and, if the entry is successful, will race under the Cadillac brand name as Andretti Cadillac.

In a press release announcing the announcement, Andretti-Cadillac described itself as an ‘All-American team’, but the actual race engine is likely to be made in France.

That’s because Cadillac’s parent company, General Motors, currently has no intention of building its own F1 engine. Team principal Michael Andretti therefore needs to find a company that can supply the power unit and engine that will be branded as ‘Cadillac’.

General Motors President Mark Reuss has revealed that he has already reached an agreement with existing F1 engine manufacturers to use F1 power units.

“We signed a deal with a power unit supplier as a start, and as we move forward we also bring a lot of expertise to create something for the future,” said Mark Reuss, while Michael Andretti said, ” I think it will be a collaboration with other manufacturers,” he added.

General Motors spokesman Michael Albano later suggested that the Andretti-Cadillac F1 engine was likely made by Renault. “It will likely happen. They are working on an agreement.”

Some reports speculated that Honda, which has registered as a manufacturer as an F1 engine supplier in 2026 and has partnered with General Motors in the electric vehicle business, will supply the F1 power unit.

But Andretti wants to join F1 as soon as possible. In fact, when he announced his intention to participate in F1 in the past, he said that 2024 was the target, and it seems that the intention has not changed. He also revealed that he has a contract with Renault.

“We don’t yet know exactly when” Andretti Cadillac will start racing, said Michael Andretti. If all goes well, I’ll be on the track soon.”

So waiting until 2026 when the new F1 engine regulations come into effect for Andretti-Cadillac is not an option. You need an F1 power unit to race, not start development. Andretti is already proceeding with development on the premise of entering F1.

It’s no secret that most F1 teams aren’t keen on Andretti Cadillac. More teams on the F1 grid means the well-stocked prize pool needs to be distributed among more teams. (Most) F1 team owners in the paddock don’t like handing over and allocating money to rookies who still have a lot to prove. The most outspoken opponent of Andretti’s arrival is Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff.

Supplying Andretti Cadillac with F1 engines is by no means a viable option given Mercedes’ already large number of clients. Along with Aston Martin, McLaren and Williams, the team already has three customer teams buying Mercedes power units. Adding a fourth team is probably a bit overkill.

Same with Ferrari. Ferrari have a strong power unit, but they still have a lot to work on when it comes to reliability. Lately, and undoubtedly in the future, Ferrari needs as many people as possible to solidify its power unit. Meanwhile, in addition to the works team, it needs to supply engines to two other teams, Alfa Romeo and Haas. Adding a new F1 team would be impractical for Ferrari in its current state. (Aside from 2026 onwards, when Sauber will switch to Audi F1 engines).

Red Bull, officially Red Bull Powertrains, is actually powered by Honda’s F1 engine. Additionally, the team is busy building its own engine division from scratch. It is unlikely that the time and space would be there to help Andretti.

This leaves Renault as the only serious option for Andretti-Cadillac. Renault’s F1 engines have made strides in speed and reliability, but in recent years other teams have been reluctant to buy engines from Renault. Alpine F1 Team is therefore the only team in F1 to build Renault F1 power units. Getting a customer team at least provides financial support.

And frankly, Renault doesn’t have many options after all. If Andretti-Cadillac were indeed cleared by the FIA ​​and FOM and no engine supplier existed at the time, the manufacturer with the fewest customer teams would be obliged to supply the power unit. It will be a Renault.

After 2026, American automakers may have two engine names. Red Bull Powertrains is open to naming its F1 engine after the car brand in 2026 if the engine is actually built in-house and the relationship with Honda ends. It was a story that was developing in partnership with Porsche, after which Ford is said to play a role.

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Category: F1 / Andretti / Renault

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