General Motors to make its debut as official Formula 1 power unit supplier for Cadillac from 2029; FIA approval granted

In a major boost for American motorsport ambitions, General Motors has officially been approved by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) to provide engines for the new Cadillac Formula 1 team from the 2029 season. The development sets the stage for a wholly American-made power unit in the world's most glamorous motorsport, a development long awaited by fans and experts alike.
The approval came on Wednesday when GM officially announced the work on its GM Performance Power Units, a big step toward its ultimate aim to be a complete engine supplier as part of fresh rules. Cadillac F1's squad, which will join the field as the 11th team in 2026, will utilise Ferrari power units until race-ready engines are available at the beginning of 2029.
The newly established Cadillac Formula 1 team, sponsored by General Motors and co-owned by TWG Motorsports, will be powered by Ferrari engines in its first few seasons on the grid. This move guarantees competitiveness while the American giant keeps intensifying R&D to ready its powertrain system for launch.
“Development and testing of the team’s Formula 1 prototype engine technology is ongoing,” the FIA wrote in a statement posted through social media. Plans are for a stand-alone engine manufacturing facility in North Carolina, an expression of GM's intention to have the power unit project in-house throughout.
This timeline aligns with wider conversations about the future of Formula 1 power units, especially with the 2026 regulations that call for more focus on electric elements in hybrid engines. As F1 is going all-in on sustainability, GM coming in as a builder ties into the sport's vision-forward approach.
Even after some of the stakeholders, such as FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, appealed for reconsidering the return of the popular V10 engines—the last used broadly in 2005—the sport is sticking with the new hybrid-era regulations. Talks during the Bahrain Grand Prix between engine manufacturers and team bosses ended with one unanimous conclusion: the 2026 hybrid engine regulations will not be changed.
But the FIA also said it would keep exploring ‘the future technical direction of the sport’. These ongoing talks may also have an impact on Formula 1's engine strategy for years to come, though any sudden changes are hypothetical at this time.
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With the FIA approval now under its belt, General Motors joins the exclusive fraternity of Formula 1 power unit manufacturers—a historically European-dominated cohort. As engineering goes into full gear, the introduction of an entirely American-produced F1 engine by 2029 is a daring leap into the future for both GM and the sport as a whole, for international appeal.