Change is inevitable on the Formula One circuit. There were times when fans thought Mercedes domination would go on forever or that we’d never see a day without Lotus and Brabham on the track. Admittedly, the days are long gone of seemingly half a dozen teams springing up or folding in a calendar year and constant driver and constructor switches that seemed impossible to track. Nevertheless, existing teams are always looking for an edge, and manufacturers frequently look to enter or leave the sport for reasons that may go beyond racing.
The coming season will largely be limited to driver changes and chassis updates. (Of course, this includes the six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton moving from Mercedes to Ferrari.) In 2026, though, new turbo hybrid engines and sustainable fuel regulations are coming to Formula One, making it an opportune time for sweeping changes. To that end, multiple new automotive brands will join or rejoin Formula One as teams looking to shake up the status quo and either challenge or continue Red Bull’s domination. Although the 2025 campaign hasn’t yet taken the green flag as I write this, I wanted to get a head start on a potential landmark 2026 season with this round-up of new F1 automotive brands.
Cadillac Finally Gets the Green Light
I wrote previously for CarLifeNation about the controversy surrounding Cadillac and Michael Andretti’s attempt to join the F1 grid. At the time, prospects seemed dicey, and as it turned out, the drama wasn’t over. In late September 2024, Andretti announced he was moving away from the team’s day-to-day operations, giving co-owner Dan Towriss full control. Andretti insisted the move was due to being 62 years old and wanting to spend more time with his family. However, given his years-long battle with Formula One and also being at odds with IndyCar owner Roger Penske, rumors were inevitable.
Racing fans may never know whether Andretti giving up day-to-day operations had anything to do with Formula One reversing its stance on the team’s inclusion. But on November 26, 2024, after months of seemingly going nowhere, FIA, General Motors, and TWG Global (the parent company of Andretti Global) announced they had a tentative agreement for Cadillac to become a new F1 team beginning in 2026. This addition means it will be the first season since 2016 with 11 teams (22 cars) as full-time participants.
As part of the announcement, GM said it would have its new F1 powerplant ready by the end of the decade. This still left the question of what engines Cadillac Formula 1 would use until then. The answer came on December 10, 2024. Ferrari will temporarily supply engines and gearboxes. It will be the third team running Ferrari powertrains, joining the in-house Scuderia Ferrari HP team and the MoneyGram Haas effort. Graeme Lowdon, who previously spearheaded the former Marussia and Virgin F1 teams, will serve as team principal. The drivers are yet to be announced.
It remains to be seen what, if any, role Michael Andretti will have with the team, although it’s been announced his father Mario, the only American F1 Champion, will be part of the team’s board of directors and serve as an ambassador. AP News nonetheless called it “bittersweet” for the team to be approved without Michael’s direct involvement, and it’s hard for me to argue.
Audi Replaces Sauber for Maiden Voyage
One of Andretti’s previous attempts to enter Formula One involved buying part of the Sauber team, which came close to happening in 2021 before falling through. That left the door open for another new automaker to join F1. After getting its feet wet with seven seasons in Formula E, Audi will play with the big dogs.
FIA announced in August 2022 that Audi would join the ranks as an engine supplier beginning in 2026. Two months later, the German automaker jumped even deeper, deciding to buy a stake in the Sauber team. The organization will be rebranded from Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber to Audi F1 team running Audi engines and chassis, replacing the existing Ferrari units. Of course, the signing of a major sponsor could lead to another rebranding. (As already seen, Ferrari landed on its feet by joining Cadillac F1.)
People have talked about Audi potentially going Formula One racing for years, but the company maintained that doing so wouldn’t benefit developing or marketing street vehicles. What led to the change of heart? The increased emphasis on hybrid engine technology did. With Audi already having a large fleet of mild-hybrid-engine vehicles and the Q5 PHEV, plus more hybrids like new versions of the A7 and Q3 on the way, the timing couldn’t be better.
The addition of Audi also led to overhauling the driver lineup. In April 2024, Audi revealed Nico Hulkenberg had been signed away from the MoneyGram Haas F1 Team to take a seat at Sauber in 2025. The same will be true for rookie Brazilian Gabrial Bortoleto, who signed in November 2024. The only minor controversy so far is the news that if Sauber wins a race in its final season, the German national anthem will be played in Victory Lane instead of the Swiss anthem.
Ford Returns to F1
The new blood of Audi and Cadillac will be accompanied by the return of an old Formula One friend. It might seem crazy to the casual fan that Oracle Red Bull Racing would switch things up after winning four straight driver and constructor championships. However, with their Honda engine agreement set to expire after 2025 (more on this in a moment), the team’s only choices were to do everything in-house or find a new supplier. As it turned out, they went with some of each.
In February 2023, Red Bull Powertrains announced a strategic and technical partnership with Ford to jointly develop powertrains for both the Oracle Red Bull and Scuderia AlphaTauri teams. (The latter has since been rebranded twice and will be known in 2026 as Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team.) As part of the agreement, the teams will use Red Bull Ford engines for at least five years. It’s the first time Ford will be involved in F1 since 2004. With the new power plant, Ford will try to build on an F1 legacy of 13 driver championships and 10 constructor titles.
Honda Switches Teams
The fallout from this switch means the Aston Martin team will also welcome a new technical partner. Honda officially pulled out of Formula 1 as a constructor after the 2021 season, the latest in an on-and-off relationship with the series, but agreed to keep making Red Bull’s engines through 2025. However, the new 2026 engine regulations led to a change of heart, as Honda Racing Corporation registered with Formula 1 in December 2022 as an “interested party” for potential 2026 participation.
Red Bull’s subsequent deal with Ford meant Honda needed to find another ally. (I’m guessing Ford and Red Bull were already deep in negotiations when Honda registered their change of heart.) Honda found one on May 24, 2023, becoming a works partner with the Aston Martin team to develop and supply the next-generation engines. As part of the deal, the team will rebrand from Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team to Aston Martin Aramco Honda. The automaker has stated it will apply the technologies and experience from this venture toward future road EVs. Along the way, Honda can hope to match the four straight world championships and counting Oracle Red Bull Racing has won with their engines.
Ready for Something New
The 2026 Formula One season is a long way away, and there’s still snow on the ground outside my apartment. But I’m already hyped to see what happens on the track. Cadillac, Audi, Ford, and Honda are huge names to have as part of the F1 grid, and they’ve proven to be successful in any endeavor. There is certainly the potential for growing pains, but the rest of the teams will undoubtedly be on the lookout for this new competition before long.
