Cadillac chief discusses the 'intense' pressure of F1.

      "There were some extremely challenging meetings with F1."

      With Cadillac's 2026 entry now confirmed, marked by Dan Towriss' signature on the new Concorde Agreement, the project leader has shared insights about the "intense" journey.

      Facing strong opposition from F1 owner Liberty Media and the ten existing teams, the initially FIA-sanctioned Andretti team project became entangled in a political battle that reached the highest levels of the US government. Reflecting on the 2024 Miami GP, F1 icon Mario Andretti recalled that Liberty's former CEO, Greg Maffei, approached him and stated: "Mario, I want to let you know that I will do everything I can to ensure that Michael never enters Formula 1."

      Ultimately, Michael Andretti’s decision to step back from his own organization—resulting in the F1 project being fully rebranded as Cadillac, with the full support of GM—allowed the team entry to proceed. When asked about the challenging evolution of the Andretti-Cadillac F1 project, Towriss told the Indianapolis Star: "You just have to refer back to Greg’s quote. He said what he said."

      Towriss, the CEO of TWG Motorsports, which is now the majority owner of Andretti Global, noted that TWG Motorsports currently manages the Cadillac F1 program. He remembers that former F1 driver Michael Andretti recognized that he needed to take a step back at a certain point.

      "He began to express a desire to withdraw, stating that it wasn’t enjoyable anymore," Towriss, 51, remarked. "At that moment, we thought, 'Okay, let’s figure out how to make that happen.' However, we had a significant investment in Andretti Global and (Indycar) as a whole. So, how do we ensure this transition goes as smoothly as possible?"

      Towriss addressed the struggle to gain entry into the top tier of motorsport, stating: "From an insider's perspective, the pressure was immense. There were some very challenging meetings with F1 and other external factors at play. Considering the other motorsport series involved, it became a large operation, which contributed to the situation. It turned very political. Certain aspects of the bid were not clearly understood, making it tough. They (F1) felt strongly about specific concerns."

      Reports indicate that, to appease the existing 10 F1 teams, Cadillac had to agree to an anti-dilution fee of $450 million—more than double what previous new entries have paid.

      Cadillac F1 Team - General Motors