Mario Andretti says Cadillac are in a good spot with Ferrari’s support as they prepare for their 2026 F1 debut, though he has heard one common “concern.”
The 2026 season will see the grid expand to 11 teams and 22 drivers, with General Motors entering the sport under the Cadillac banner. Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez have both signed multi-year deals to drive for the new team from its first season.
Andretti is a member of the board at Cadillac and brings his experience as a former F1 champion to the role. The team will start out using Ferrari engines in 2026 while GM works on its own power unit, which is expected to be ready by 2029.
Mario Andretti isn’t worried about Ferrari’s 2026 F1 engine falling behind Mercedes
Cadillac will join Haas as one of two teams using Ferrari engines in 2026. But there are doubts swirling around how the new regulations will affect their performance, especially compared to the power units coming from Mercedes.
There are also reliability concerns for Ferrari’s new engine ahead of pre-season testing in Barcelona, which runs from January 26th to 30th. Adding to that, Ferrari believes Mercedes may have found a loophole in the regulations that could be worth around three-tenths per lap.
Andretti isn’t too concerned about reports of Mercedes boosting their combustion rate beyond the FIA’s tested standard. He feels confident Ferrari will catch up quickly if they aren’t already on pace with others.
“Let’s wait and see,” Andretti told GPBlog. “I have all the confidence in the world in Ferrari in that respect. And if they don’t get it right away, they will.”
“There’s no concern. I think we’re very fortunate that Ferrari are part of the project as we start,” he added. “I don’t think we could be in better hands, quite honestly. So, that part, there’s no real concern in that.”
How Ferrari’s 2026 engine could shape Cadillac’s first F1 season
Cadillac are still finding their feet in Formula 1, and they’ve turned to Ferrari not just for engine supply but for a bit of guidance as well. But how competitive Ferrari’s power unit turns out to be under the new regulations could have a major impact on what kind of debut season Cadillac put together.
The MGU-H will no longer be part of F1 power units under the 2026 rules, as the sport looks to cut down on costs. There will also be an increase in electrical power output, moving from a 20/80 split favouring internal combustion up to an even 50/50 balance.
There’s a lot of early expectation around Mercedes’ power unit for 2026. If it lives up to the hype, teams like McLaren, Williams and Alpine could benefit alongside Mercedes themselves. With so much change coming, there is every chance that engine performance ends up being one of the main talking points throughout the season.
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