General Motors is edging toward securing a place on the Formula One grid as early as 2026 when the field could expand to 11 teams.

United States car maker General Motors is closing in on an entry to Formula 1 as a team owner in 2026. The move comes out of the failure of the American Andretti organisation’s attempt to gain a place on the F1 grid this year.

Andretti and General Motors had been partners since January 2023 but it is now understood that the latter will join the grid as a works outfit having reached a deal with Formula O

With a restructuring at Andretti Global that pushed Michael Andretti into a smaller role, the chances of his organization landing a Formula 1 team have substantially increased.

A General Motors-backed bid to enter Formula One as an 11th team in 2026 is now looking more likely to succeed after being previously rejected, multiple sources said on Friday.

One scenario has GM with Cadillac spending 2026 and 2027 as a F1 customer team before bringing its own powerplants in 2028.

Andretti could not get approval from F1 to enter. But the situation changed in September when he reduced his role with his namesake organization.

Momentum has reportedly shifted in the GM / Andretti team's favor, nearly a year after the initial rejection of the team's plan to join as an 11th F1 team.

A decision on the status of Andretti and their participation in Formula 1 could be made in the coming weeks, with a substantial increase in the chances of acceptance coming as a result of a restructuring within Andretti Global that meant Michael Andretti was put into a smaller role within the organisation.