{"id":99484,"date":"2025-01-07T15:52:26","date_gmt":"2025-01-07T23:52:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/?p=99484"},"modified":"2025-01-09T13:48:35","modified_gmt":"2025-01-09T21:48:35","slug":"cadillac-formula-one-team-preps-for-2026-entry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/cadillac-formula-one-team-preps-for-2026-entry\/","title":{"rendered":"Cadillac Formula One Team Preps for 2026 Entry – GM vet O’Blenes to lead power unit production"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Rendering of Cadillac’s 2026 F1 entry – courtesy Cadillac F1 Team<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cadillac\u2019s entry into the Formula One World Championship is on-track to have two cars on F1\u2019s racetracks by the 2026 season. Approved by the F1 Commission after Michael Andretti bowed out of the enterprise, General Motors\u2019 Cadillac Formula 1 Team is a partnership between GM and TWG Global, the latter owned by Dan Towriss who took over Andretti Global once Michael stepped aside. Cadillac Formula 1 Team is the first new squad to join F1 since 2016 and will be the 11th team on the exclusive grid.<\/p>\n

GM intends for this to be a \u201cfull works\u201d team by the close of this decade, producing its own chassis and power units. Until the latter comes to fruition, Cadillac F1 Team will be using Ferrari power units and transmissions in a purpose-built Cadillac chassis.<\/p>\n

The objective of running this team is to create innovations that contribute to GM\u2019s push towards advanced electrification, powertrain, software and internal combustion engine technology for consumers worldwide. The launch of this F1 team highlights the Cadillac brand to the diverse audiences attached by F1 and showcases GM\u2019s technology and design capabilities\/<\/p>\n

Mark Reuss, GM president noted that, \u201cAs the pinnacle of motorsports, F1 demands boundary-pushing innovations and excellence. It\u2019s an honor for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world\u2019s premier racing series, and we\u2019re committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for race fans around the world. This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM\u2019s engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level.<\/p>\n

Since GM presented its bid to join F1 in January of 2023, Cadillac Formula 1 Team has assembled an experienced team to work on aerodynamics, chassis and component development, software and vehicle dynamics simulation. The Cadillac F1 Team has established multiple operations, both in the United States and the UK, with operations in Fishers, IN, Charlotte, NC, Warren, MI and Silverstone, England.<\/p>\n

The team has also invested in the history of F1 by acknowledging and undertaking this endeavor with Mario Andretti, who earned America\u2019s most recent Formula 1 championship in 1978. The first American to earn an F1 title was Phil Hill, who accomplished the feat in 1961. Andretti is serving as a director on the team\u2019s board.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy first love was Formula 1 and now – 70 years later – the F1 paddock is still my happy place. I\u2019m absolutely thrilled with Cadillac, Formula 1, Mark Walter and Dan Towriss,\u201d Andretti stated. \u201cTo still be involved at this stage of my life – I have to pinch myself to make sure I\u2019m not dreaming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Towriss, CEO of TWG Global\u2019s motorsports businesses added, \u201cWe\u2019re excited to partner with General Motors in bringing a dynamic presence to Formula 1. Together, we\u2019re assembling a world-class team that will embody American innovation and deliver unforgettable moments to race fans around the world. We appreciate FIA\u2019s and FOM\u2019s support of our application and their recognition of the value we can bring to the championship,\u201d Towriss said.<\/p>\n

It should be noted that TWG operates and owns Andretti Global, Wayne Taylor Racing and Spire Motorsports.<\/p>\n

To effect clear channels with the leaders in Formula One Management (FOM) and the Federation Internationale de l\u2019Automobile (FIA), Cadillac F1 team has secured the services of former F1 technical chief Pat Symonds, whose role is as the executive engineering consultant to Cadillac F1 Team.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Pat Symonds – photographer unknown<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Symonds began his consultancy at the start of the year after being hired earlier and needing to effect \u201cgardening leave\u201d for six months. He\u2019s been in the racecar business since the mid-1970s and does, therefore, have currency in the building of cars, as he began his career working together with South African designer Rory Byrne. The duo shared a partnership for several years, including their time at Benetton as seven-time champion Michael Schumacher made his name.<\/p>\n

Symonds became Schumacher\u2019s race engineer and also served as the team\u2019s head of research and development. The now-71-year-old Symonds most recently worked at Williams F1 but was suspended from the sport for five years after Renault\u2019s \u201cCrashgate\u201d scandal in 2008 but the ban was later retracted and he was hired by Ross Brawn to serve FIA\u2019s technical team.<\/p>\n

We bring up this history because Symonds is currently working to construct the initial Cadillac F1 car which will use both Ferrari\u2019s power unit and transmission as the Cadillac power unit is developed. \u201cWe are building the infrastructure to support our challenge at our base in Silverstone,\u201d Symonds said. He believes that \u201cstarting with the proverbial \u2018clean sheet of paper\u2019 presents far more opportunities than it does challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n

He intends, as a consultant, to \u201cmake [Cadillac F1 Team] the best team to work for in Formula 1.\u201d<\/p>\n

General Motors has wasted no time in assigning a leader for the production of its bespoke power unit, which will go into the purpose-built chassis when full testing is complete. The expectation is that Cadillac’s engines will be in use by the close of the decade. In announcing the formation of GM Performance Power Units LLC (GM PPU) and assigning the role of Chief Executive Officer to Russ O\u2019Blenes, GM has tabbed a more-than 16-year veteran of its racing endeavors.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Russ O’Blenes photo courtesy General Motors<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

O\u2019Blenes has been instrumental in most of General Motors\u2019 successful racing engine build-ups over the past decade. In the arena of hybridization for US competition, he has been a leader in producing hybrid engines for IMSA\u2019s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES as director of GM\u2019s Motorsports Propulsion and Performance team. His innovations include commercialization of GM\u2019s eCrate initiative for EV enthusiasts.<\/p>\n

With more than 30 years engineering for motorsports activities, O\u2019Blenes recognizes that he\u2019s got a lot of work to do in prepping for the next set of regulations that begin in 2026, such as the use of 100 percent sustainable fuels, the adoption of a more robust MGU-K propulsion system that will produce around 350kW, nearly three times the current power output, mandatory 70kg fuel usage during each Grand Prix, together with engine-specific cost caps for the continuing turbocharged 1.6-liter V6 internal combustion engine (ICE).<\/p>\n

Dan Towriss, CEO of TWG Motorsports acknowledged the depth of O\u2019Blenes\u2019 racing experience: \u201cHis expertise and leadership will be instrumental as we lay the foundation for Cadillac\u2019s Formula 1 journey. Together with Team Principal Graeme Lowdon, they will lead the team in setting new standards of performance and innovation in the sport.\u201d<\/p>\n

O\u2019Blenes\u2019 experience has garnered championships for Cadillac\u2019s hybrid IMSA engines and Corvette\u2019s C8.R ICE power mills. \u201cIn F1,\u201d Mark Reuss noted, \u201cwe\u2019re going to demonstrate GM\u2019s engineering and technology capabilities on a global stage, and Russ is the right choice to lead the Power Unit team that will make it happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

As expected, development and testing of the team\u2019s F1 prototype engine technology is already underway. Plans are in place to open a dedicated facility for Performance Power Units LLC near GM\u2019s Charlotte Technical Center next year, the company noted.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am truly excited to have the opportunity to build and lead the team that will bring an American-built power unit to the grid,\u201d O\u2019Blenes stated. \u201cGM PPU is currently ramping up its team and is hiring in all areas of the business.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cadillac\u2019s entry into the Formula One World Championship is on-track to have two cars on F1\u2019s racetracks by the 2026 season.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":99485,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3470,3699,5029],"tags":[11393,11409,10875,5420,9530,11392,66,1421,11394,11410],"class_list":["post-99484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-other-racing","category-racing","tag-cadillac-formula-one-team","tag-charlotte-technical-center","tag-dan-towriss","tag-fia","tag-fia-formula-one-world-championship","tag-formula-one-management","tag-general-motors","tag-mario-andretti","tag-pat-symonds","tag-russ-oblenes"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Cadillac-F1-rendering-min-e1736293927867.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p42YSK-pSA","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/65"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99484"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99484\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99529,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99484\/revisions\/99529"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}