What’s next for Andretti Global after GM Formula 1 team shock?

Cadillac, a General Motors subbrand, has finally come to a provisional agreement with Formula 1 to enter the grid in 2026 as an 11th team — after months of negotiations via Andretti Global.

The team is clearly going to be named after Cadillac, with the Andretti moniker almost nowhere to be seen. So, what does GM’s entry in F1 mean for Andretti Global?

Andretti Global’s tenuous ties to Cadillac Formula 1

In 2023, the FIA opened something called an “expression of interest,” where prospective Formula 1 teams could apply for entry to the grid in the future.

Of the teams that applied, only one met the basic FIA requirements: Andretti. The American team, which has been based in Indianapolis, quickly rebranded to Andretti Global and began pursuing plans to partner with Cadillac as its power unit manufacturer.

Despite the FIA’s belief in Andretti, Formula One Management (FOM) issued a harsh rejection of the team, citing the claim that Andretti would not bring any value to Formula 1. However, the FOM left the door open for Cadillac to join the sport as a power unit manufacturer.

Part of the reason for the FOM’s denial seems to have stemmed from Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei’s personal dislike of Andretti head Michael Andretti.

Earlier this year, Michael Andretti stepped back from day-to-day running of the team, handing it over to co-owner Dan Towriss. Now, Cadillac has earned its approval to join the F1 circuit. But what does that mean for Andretti?

More on the Andretti Global saga:

👉 Andretti Global and Group 1001: How a racing sponsorship became team co-ownership

👉 Cadillac’s European push could make sense of its F1 hopes without Andretti

First and foremost, it is important to remember that Andretti remains involved in the Cadillac F1 team, though the full scope of its participation is currently unclear.

Mario Andretti, father of Michael and one of America’s two F1 World Champions, will serve as a director on the Cadillac F1 team board.

Further, Andretti Global also has other ties with Cadillac and General Motors in the racing world, particularly in endurance racing. Andretti has partnered with Wayne Taylor Racing for the 2025 IMSA season; WTR will once again compete with Cadillac machinery in the prototype class, while Andretti will serve as a partner of the team.

“My first love was Formula 1 and now – 70 years later – the F1 paddock is still my happy place. I’m absolutely thrilled with Cadillac, Formula 1, Mark Walter, and Dan Towriss,” Mario Andretti said in the official press release.

“To still be involved at this stage of my life — I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming.”

The Andretti name was almost entirely omitted from the press release aside from that statement from Mario Andretti. Rather, the team is referred to as TWG Global.

Dan Towriss, who has taken over Andretti Global after he invested in an ownership stake of the team, is primarily responsible for the team’s rapid growth in the past few years. With Towriss’ funding, Andretti has begun to build state-of-the-art race facilities in both Indiana and in the United Kingdom, both of which are designed to serve as hubs for all of the team’s racing operations, and is able to utilize facilities in both North Carolina and Michigan as well.

The Formula 1 team simply could not exist without Towriss’ funding, which means his control of the team in light of Michael Andretti’s departure is perhaps the most critical. The systematic removal of the Andretti name from the press release signals that ownership has changed hands — and that the team has moved beyond its close ties with the motorsport family.

As of the writing of this article, IndyCar still registers the Andretti team name as “Andretti Global “and not TWG Global. It is unclear if that will change in the future, or if the Andretti name will remain an integral part of the American motorsport sphere, with TWG becoming the international name.

What is clear, though, is that the Towriss-led team has almost immediately succeeded in its endeavors to create an American Formula 1 team. With this key piece of the puzzle in place, we are likely to see additional updates and announcements on the horizon.

Read next: Four reasons why GM’s huge F1 arrival makes so much sense