Cadillac may be using Ferrari powertrains for its F1 team through 2029, but that hasn't stopped development of their Formula 1 own power unit.
General Motors's foray into the world of Formula 1 is more than a mere marketing exercise for Cadillac. The automaker has the intention to compete as a genuine works team and powertrain supplier, with plans to bring their own bespoke unit by 2029.
And according to GM president Mark Reuss, the team is right on schedule, having already run a test version of its upcoming turbocharged V-6 at the brand’s new technical center in Charlotte, North Carolina. By the time GM was given the green light to join Formula 1, it was already too late for the brand to test and develop their own power unit for its inaugural 2026 season.
Cadillac instead inked a powertrain contract with Ferrari, which will supply the American team through 2028. Not only did this allow Cadillac to hit the track running, but it also freed up the powertrain team to work on the brand’s own future unit. As such, the brand’s engine experts down in Charlotte have wasted no time getting things rolling.
“Our power unit is well underway, and we're seeing the first things come out of there, and be tested from a single cylinder and then full engine, actually,” Reuss told the media at the Miami Grand Prix. 'We had a full V-6 running in America for the first time, which was pretty emotional. The first Formula 1 American engine running on our soil. Pretty cool, you know?
” Reuss further noted that GM has just wrapped construction of the brand’s power unit building in Charlotte, complete with extensive additive manufacturing capabilities. This setup will play a major role in allowing the brand to continue improving its designs, bolstered in large part by the facilities’ expertise across other motorsports.
“We built out Charlotte in NASCAR first, and the technical talent that is around Charlotte—whether it's aerodynamicists or chassis , or control systems and simulation, we decided that we wanted to leverage that talent across several series and learn faster than anybody else, instead of a Formula 1 thing here or an IndyCar thing here,” said Reuss. “We said, 'Okay, let's make the drivers come to that technical facility,' and that's what we're doing. That's the way to leverage it.
And I want our drivers learning from all the other drivetrains and all the series too. ” Cadillac plans to release its own power unit for the 2029 season. Of course, it's also now expected that the series will make the move back to V-8 engines in 2030 or 2031, given the recent comments from leadership.
'I'm positive, want it to happen,” FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said during the Miami Grand Prix, according to a Reuters report. “But let's say the manufacturers don't approve it . The next year, it will happen. In 2031 it's done anyway.
It will be done. V-8 is coming.
' That statement means that Cadillac needs to effectively be working on two powertrains at once in North Carolina, but that doesn’t seem to be a concern for Reuss. 'Whether it's V-6 or V-8, you know, the series will decide,' the president said. 'We're new to the series, so we have a lot of respect for the investment that was made by the existing teams on the V-6 hybrid that we have on the circuit now.
But you've probably seen that, you know, people are talking about a V-8 maybe. We can do either; we know how to make a V-8. ”Given the number of insane eight-cylinder motors that have come out of GM in recent years, I don't think anyone is going to argue with Reuss there. Whether or not that translates to the world of F1 remains to be seen.
Please follow us on Google to support us United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Candidates for California governor tangle in testy debate with mail voting already underwayThe candidates sparred on issues from gas prices and taxes to immigration in a race that has no clear leader.
Read more »
Knicks Have Already Laid the Path for Another Lopsided Win in Game 2The Knicks shot the lights out in game one, but the stats suggest that if they can continue their offensive process and get the looks they have gotten, their offense should continue rolling.
Read more »
DC’s Latest Reality TV Attempt Is Already MessyThe website that Washington lives by.
Read more »
This slim ice cream maker could fit in my already crowded kitchenNutribullet’s Chill has a smaller footprint than the Ninja Creami but enough capacity to make pint cups of ice cream.
Read more »