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WASHINGTON (CN) — House Republicans on Friday took a victory lap online as the Formula One racing series announced that a General Motors-led team would have its cars on track in 2026 — pointing to congressional oversight as a key factor in the outfit’s approval.
The move to allow the U.S.-based auto manufacturer to compete in Formula One, which it will do under the Cadillac marque, closes the book on a yearslong saga, which saw General Motors’ initial bid for an expansion team rejected by F1 management.
Though it was initially intended as a joint venture between Cadillac and Andretti Global, the outfit founded by former American racing driver Michael Andretti, the team approved Friday by Formula One and the international sporting body Federation Internationale de l’Automobile will proceed without the Andretti name directly attached.
The new team will be a cooperative effort between General Motors and TWG Motorsports, which partners with Andretti Global in other racing series such as IndyCar and Formula E. Mario Andretti, Michael’s father and the 1978 Formula One World Champion, will advise the new team.
Colorado-based Liberty Media, which owns the Formula One world championship, rejected the Andretti-Cadillac bid in early 2024, reasoning that adding another team to the current grid of 10 manufacturer-owned and private racing outfits would not provide value to the series.
The elder Andretti traveled to Capitol Hill last year to seek Congress’ help with the proposed Andretti-Cadillac team. He enlisted the help of Representative John James, a Michigan Republican, who claimed at the time that Liberty Media may have engaged in anticompetitive behavior when it blocked General Motors from the racing series.
During a press conference last May, James suggested to Courthouse News that Liberty Media’s rejection amounted to “cartel-type” behavior. He argued that European automakers that already participate in the series, such as Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari, had a business incentive to keep General Motors out of the market.
In a Friday post on X, James highlighted his embrace of the Andretti cause as he celebrated the Cadillac team’s approval.
“Now, American-built and manufactured cars in the league will become a reality,” he wrote.
Concerns about Liberty Media’s initial rejection of the Andretti-Cadillac team also piqued the interest of lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee, who in August announced a formal investigation into the company’s move to block General Motors. The congressional panel was already probing the Colorado media company’s ownership of event ticketing service LiveNation.
It wasn’t just the House that got involved. Last summer, a bipartisan group of senators also wrote a letter to the Federal Trade Commission, asking it to look into Liberty Media’s business practices.
In a Friday post on X, the House Judiciary Committee appeared to take at least partial credit for Formula One’s ultimate decision to allow Cadillac on the grid, writing that the move was made “following” the panel’s investigation.
“America first!” the committee added.
It’s unclear what impact, if any, the House’s investigation had on the decision to approve Cadillac’s F1 bid. The Judiciary Committee in August sent a letter to Liberty Media demanding information on its decision to reject the Andretti joint venture. But the panel never published responses from the media company and did not summon any Formula One executives to testify before lawmakers.
A spokesperson for the Judiciary Committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a statement, Formula One president and CEO Stefano Domenicali said that General Motors commitment to bring a Cadillac team to the racing series was an “important and positive demonstration of the evolution of our sport.”
Calling the decision a transformative moment, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said that General Motors’ inclusion brings fresh energy to the Formula One paddock, especially as the sport’s regulations are set to change in 2026.
Liberty Media’s change of heart on the Cadillac team also comes just months after the U.S. Justice Department said that it was investigating the company for possible antitrust violations related to its rejection of the Andretti bid.
Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei, though, defended his firm’s position during an August conference call.
“We believe our determination — F1’s determination — was in compliance with all applicable U.S. antitrust laws,” he told investors.
When it joins the Formula One grid in 2026, the General Motors-Cadillac team will represent the sport’s first expansion in more than a decade. Just 10 teams with two drivers each have competed in the prestigious racing series since 2015 — though their names, owners and engine manufacturers have changed over the years.
The Cadillac outfit hopes to become a “full works” team by 2030, meaning that General Motors would provide the engines and parts for its racing cars rather than purchasing them from third parties.
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