GM Contends That IMSA/WEC Are Safe As Cadillac Enters Formula 1

With the news finally official that General Motors and Cadillac have secured their ticket to enter as the 11th team onto the Formula 1 grid starting in 2026, a natural hesitancy arises for the race fans that support other series around the world.

With GM/Cadillac taking their leap into the greener, cashier, money-ierer pastures of F1 racing, the reactionary hiccup of 'wait, shit' has naturally followed, just like it always does whenever one entity decides to move in a certain direction at the potential cost of taking away from another. As the American brand enters the globally-popular circus that is the Formula 1 Show, fans of IMSA and the WEC naturally have that thought of hesitation when it comes to forecasting the future of the sportscars that run in those two series. 

There's a lot to unpack as this new era of F1 continues to shape itself ahead of their 2026 reset, and now that Cadillac is confirmed to be joining the party with a goal of being a full works team complete with their own car and power unit, the rest of us are left to wonder how that will impact the future of the other teams/programs under their control as they enter into "the pinnacle of motorsports," as they labeled it in their official press release. Separate from that release, and separate from any official comment from the brand thus far, a Cadillac spokesperson contends that the company is still committed to "competing full-time in IMSA and the WEC," as they told Motorsportweek.com. 

We have to believe them, right? We definitely want to, as we're currently experiencing that kind of hell-born metamorphosis from Audi as they have (shamelessly) buried their GT program entirely to instead pour all of their time, attention and resources into A) an all-electric future and B) an all-new F1 team/program set to debut in 2026 as well (did you see the final R8 LMS GT3 being delivered this week?)

If we're allowed to be optimistic, the comment from the unnamed source is encouraging, and the cards are certainly lined up for GM/Cadillac to approach this new chapter of their racing division as a Hydra-inspired motorsport monster rather than (shamelessly) ditching their LMDh and GT programs off to the side as they chase glory on the F1 stage. They're primed to roll with a deep portfolio of racing programs across the board, with their presence in IMSA headlined by Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti, that same Andretti Global outfit that originally aimed to secure the F1 bid themselves but is now taking a backseat yet still prominent support role as GM steps up to the plate. In the WEC the Cadillac's will be properly managed by Hertz Team Jota, and both Pratt & Miller and TF Sport are ready to roll for Year 2 in North America and the WEC, respectively, with the Z06 GT3.R. There are also a handful of other teams that are utilizing Corvette machinery across the world, with DXDT Racing being another team that is entering into Year 2 with their GT3.R as they elevate from the SRO ranks in GT World Challenge America to the GTD grid for 2025.

On top of all of that, the homologation period for LMDh machines was extended by the FIA until 2029, which coincidentally lines up with Cadillac's aim to have their own car and engine developed and racing "by the end of the decade."

We certainly love the fact that an American-born team is elevating themselves to the top step of open-wheel racing, yet we want to be assured the move won't come with the casualty cost of the sportscar racing that we primarily support. From the initial looks of things it seems that GM and Cadillac are approaching this new venture with the goal of raising the waters in the harbor so that all ships rise together. And they better, because years from now if that doesn't end up happening, well, then we simply burn all the boats and take everything down. Don't make us do it GM!