Cadillac make F1 champion announcement over 2026 car

Credit for photo: Cadillac F1 Team — Photo: © IMAGO

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Cadillac make F1 champion announcement over 2026 car

Cadillac enter their first F1 season

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 1 March 2026 23:30

The new Cadillac F1 team have unveiled a stunning tribute to an American racing legend and champion of the sport ahead of the 2026 season.

Cadillac are beginning their F1 adventure in 2026, becoming the 11th team on the grid and it will be the first time since 2016 the sport has had more than 10 teams.

The American car giants have acquired the services of Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas for their first season in the sport, a driver pairing who have 16 grand prix victories between them, and a plethora of experience.

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On top of this, Cadillac have announced that their 2026 car will feature a nod to 1978 F1 champion Mario Andretti, who is on the board of directors at the outfit.

Cadillac's 2026 car will be called the MAC-26, an abbreviation of Mario Andretti Cadillac, in a tribute to the American racing legend.

Nevertheless, Cadillac have stated that they expect to be fighting at the very back of the pack in 2026, with team principal Graeme Lowdon even recently hinting that they might not score a single point.

Pre-season testing seemed to back that up, with the team having completed the second-fewest amount of laps of all the teams, and being near the bottom of the timing sheets even when they were on track.

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Who is Mario Andretti and what is his role with Cadillac?

Andretti won 12 grands prix as an F1 driver, and his involvement in the sport stretched between 1968-1982.

He raced for some huge teams including Ferrari, March and Lotus, the latter with whom he claimed his one and only title in the 1978 season.

Andretti is also known for his exploits in American racing series, winning four IndyCar National Championship titles, and claiming victories in historic races such as the Indy500 and Daytona 500.

Andretti's son Michael Andretti also competed in F1, and owns his own racing team which competes across the IndyCar Series, Indy NXT, Formula E, as well as having joint entries in IMSA and the Australian Supercars Championship.

The bid to become the 11th team on the F1 grid initially had the Andretti name plastered all over it, before the eventual bid that passed F1 and FIA scrutiny featured the Cadillac brand. But Andretti Sr is still on the board of directors at the F1 squad, and has been involved in their journey into the sport as a full-time racing team.

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Cadillac Mario Andretti