The team bosses do not fear a “head start” for General Motors

Following the announcement of the expansion of the current F1 grid, F1 team bosses claim they are not concerned about a potential lead for General Motor’s Cadillac team.

General Motors and TWG Global recently confirmed that they have reached an agreement in principle with Formula 1 to bring a Cadillac team into the series in 2026.

In addition, the US car giant is also launching an F1 power unit that will set the Cadillac Formula 1 team on the path to becoming a “full works” team with its own F1 engines by the end of the decade. Builds vehicles and drive units. However, the new team will be powered by Ferrari engines in the first few years.

Cadillac would be the first new team to join Formula 1 since 2016 and the 11th team on the grid.

When asked if he had any concerns about a possible starting head start for the new GM team, Williams team boss James Vowles said that the regulation was finalized so late that the new team could not take advantage of not being restricted before the start Next year.

“They shouldn’t, and I don’t think they do. The regulations are not yet finished and still need to be ratified. So at the last F1 Commission we still have some outstanding aerodynamic elements. And it’s the wet surfaces that are the tricky part.

“If they then come into force in 2026, they should fall under the FIA’s ATR and cost cap regulations from 2025. Caps perhaps. But I think it’s pretty well controlled by some FIA ​​regulations. It’s up to the FIA ​​to regulate next year.

Aston Martin team boss Mike Krack even went so far as to claim that General Motors will be at a disadvantage due to the timescale, as they will have to build an entirely new team within a year.

“Yes, I agree. I think it’s a monumental task to now try to field a team for 2026 with a completely different set of rules. So there is, so to speak, no governance for the period before N-12.”

“So what someone does beforehand is up to them, the FIA, no one else has the opportunity to regulate it. But I think from January 1st it’s only 12 months to get this all set up and build a car. I think it is.” A big task. Even though there was a small lead, I think it will even out very quickly.

VCARB team boss Laurent Mekies insisted that the new team can only operate without restrictions for a month, but from the beginning of next year all clubs will be forced to work under the same rules.

“I think as much as you can look at 2024 as a space where you could have a head start, by January 1 everything will be well controlled by the regulations and the task after that is still huge.”