F1 – General Motors will become an official Formula One power unit supplier in 2029, the sport’s world governing body said yesterday.
GM Performance Power Units has been formed by TWG Motorsports and General Motors to power the new Cadillac team that will debut next season as the 11th constructor on the starting grid.
Cadillac will use Ferrari units until the GM engines are available.
“With this approval from the FIA, we will continue to accelerate our efforts to bring an American-built F1 power unit to the grid,” said GM Performance Power Units CEO Russ O’Blenes in a statement.
The company plans to open a dedicated facility near Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2026.
The selection of 2029 is potentially significant, with the sport entering a new engine era next year with a 50/50 split between combustion and electric that would normally run to the end of 2030.
It would make little financial sense to design a hugely expensive power unit that might only have a two-year shelf life but the sport could bring back V8 or V10 engines before 2030 – with 2029 mooted as a possibility.
The FIA said this month that teams and manufacturers were committed to the 2026 rules but would continue discussion on future regulations.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is keen on reducing engine costs and a supporter of bringing back naturally-aspirated V8 or V10 engines, running on fully sustainable fuel, whose noise is missed by many.
The Emirati has suggested 2029 as a date for this to happen, although some manufacturers have been markedly less enthusiastic.
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