The 2026 Formula One season will see Cadillac enter as a constructor for the first time in its history. In 2023, General Motors announced the establishment of its F1 division, marking the first new entry to the list of constructors since Haas in 2016. It has generated much excitement, and it could be an exciting time for drivers and fans alike.
New competition is always welcome in any sport. It’s what makes the soccer league systems in countries like England so popular around the world. Teams can be promoted and relegated, meaning that each year, there will be a number of new teams to take part in each league. Not only does it introduce jeopardy, but it also allows fans of different teams to have a stake in the game.
In F1, that obviously isn’t the case, as the constructors are set in stone for each year and must be approved by the sport’s authorities. Because of that, any new addition comes with its fair share of excitement, so what can we expect from Cadillac, and how have new additions fared in the past?
Red Bull, One of the Latest Team Owners and Already a Leading Force
Twenty years ago, Red Bull’s expansion into sports team ownership saw its first steps into Formula One. They officially joined in 2004, before making their debut on the track in 2005. That was seen as a bold step for the drinks company, even though it had long been involved in motorsports and its own extreme sports events.
Now, Red Bull is one of the big names in F1, and in 2025, they are battling it out with the likes of McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes for the Constructors’ Championship. In the F1 betting offered at any reputable online casino, without McLaren, as they have already won the championship this year, they are the third favourite at +250. The fact that they are able to compete with established supercar constructors just 20 years later is a testament to their impact on the sport.
Max Verstappen being one of their drivers doesn’t hurt, either. With four Drivers’ Championships in a row since 2021, he is truly one of the sport’s greatest of all time. As long as he is signed with Red Bull, they are a team that will demand respect and continue to be a fixture on the podium, whether that’s in the Drivers’ Championship or as a constructor.
Haas, the Latest to Enter and Lingering at the Bottom
Haas first entered F1 a little under 10 years ago at the 2016 Australian Grand Prix. Since then, they have yet to really threaten the very best at the top of the Constructors’ Championships, having yet to claim even one. In fact, they have only achieved one pole position. Compare that with Red Bull’s 110, and it’s evident that there is a wide gap between the two.
Hopes were high for Haas when they were first announced as joining in 2014. They had just recently been involved in success in NASCAR, and were selected amid a slew of other applications to join. However, the sheer scale of the task has been laid bare since then. Such poor results show that there is a real uphill battle for newcomers to the stage, as they are years behind their competitors in establishing a strong team and technology.
Because of that, it’s hard to look at Cadillac and know what to expect. General Motors, of which Cadillac is the luxury division, is as big a name as any in the auto world. They have had experience in the F1 sphere, too, having seen their engines raced in the Indianapolis 500 while it was part of the World Championship of Drivers. However, that is now more than 60 years ago.
Whether Cadillac will be able to leverage its position as one of the leaders in automotive creation and experience in early F1 remains to be seen. However, it will certainly come with some excitement when their first driver takes the wheel in 2026.
