{"id":31707,"date":"2023-11-17T15:53:40","date_gmt":"2023-11-17T19:53:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=31707"},"modified":"2023-11-17T15:53:40","modified_gmt":"2023-11-17T19:53:40","slug":"payne-gms-billion-dollar-vegas-bet-on-formula-one-power-unit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2023\/11\/payne-gms-billion-dollar-vegas-bet-on-formula-one-power-unit","title":{"rendered":"Payne: GM&#8217;s billion-dollar Vegas bet on Formula One power unit"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">General Motors Co.&#8217;s announcement Tuesday that it has registered with Formula One racing to develop a gas-electric hybrid powerplant for its Andretti Cadillac F1 team by 2028 marks a major commitment by the Detroit automaker to the world\u2019s biggest motorsport \u2014 and to a battery-powered future.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The commitment puts GM in elite company with Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull Ford at the top of the sport in developing a \u201cpower unit\u201d (F1 speak for a hybrid drivetrain) and comes as Andretti Cadillac enters a critical period in convincing the Formula One Management group to allow them entry into the sport. GM\u2019s top brass and Michael Andretti, CEO of Andretti Motorsports, are expected to be at the Las Vegas Formula One race this weekend to make their case.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">By making its commitment as the seventh company to develop an F1 power unit, GM hopes approval is now irresistible. Call it the General&#8217;s billion-dollar Vegas bet.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/11\/14\/PDTN\/71578929007-gm-power-unit-111423.jpg?width=660&amp;height=441&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Cadillac has taken the lead in GM\u2019s electric transformation and is a natural fit for Formula One.\" width=\"477\" height=\"319\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/11\/14\/PDTN\/71578929007-gm-power-unit-111423.jpg?width=660&amp;height=441&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/11\/14\/PDTN\/71578929007-gm-power-unit-111423.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=882&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"Cadillac has taken the lead in GM\u2019s electric transformation and is a natural fit for Formula One.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Cadillac has taken the lead in GM\u2019s electric transformation and is a natural fit for Formula One.\" data-c-credit=\"General Motors Co.\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">&#8220;Getting a place on the Formula 1 grid has been a box-ticking exercise for Andretti Cadillac, and every time they think they&#8217;ve checked the final one \u2014 another pops up,\u201d said Charles Bradley, editor-in-chief of Motosport.com, the globe\u2019s largest racing site. \u201cOne of the major criticisms, aired by Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, was that Andretti has to have GM-Cadillac as more than a name to put on its car \u2014 but a manufacturer that would build an engine. So it&#8217;s vital that the project checks this box.&#8221;<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-2\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"llx\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Formula One is at the peak of the world\u2019s automotive development in chassis, suspension, tire and drivetrain technology. As global governments from China to the United States to Europe force automakers to go all-electric, the global Formula One circus has made a commitment to go all-electric as well \u2014 beginning with its 2026-2030 power unit regulations that prescribe engines be powered 50\/50 by batteries and V-6 engines gassed with synthetic fuel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cWe are thrilled that our new Andretti Cadillac F1 entry will be powered by a GM power unit,\u201d said GM President Mark Reuss, a passionate voice for motorsports within the company. \u201cWith our deep engineering and racing expertise, we\u2019re confident we\u2019ll develop a successful power unit for the series, and position Andretti Cadillac as a true works team.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-3\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"llx\" data-x-c=\"2\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Formula One power units are a billion-dollar development commitment, with each engine costing upwards of $10 million. While that is a rich number for even mega-manufacturers like GM, it is part of a multi-billion company strategy to go all-electric by 2035, with the automaker already investing billions in its Ultium battery platform and plants. The company sees motorsport as an opportunity, not just to market its technological prowess, but to accelerate technology transfer between racing and production applications in batteries, fuels, engines, and software system<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2022\/10\/23\/PDTN\/6b15c6d3-9e02-4690-a349-958ee8a39d84-AP22296725314137.jpg?width=660&amp;height=441&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"If approved by F1, Andretti Cadillac will compete against racing F1 behemoths like Red Bull Ford, Mercedes, and Ferrari. Red Bull driver and 2022 champion Max Verstappen of the Netherlands competes during the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race at the Circuit of the Americas, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022, in Austin, Texas.\" width=\"516\" height=\"345\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2022\/10\/23\/PDTN\/6b15c6d3-9e02-4690-a349-958ee8a39d84-AP22296725314137.jpg?width=660&amp;height=441&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/presto\/2022\/10\/23\/PDTN\/6b15c6d3-9e02-4690-a349-958ee8a39d84-AP22296725314137.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=882&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"If approved by F1, Andretti Cadillac will compete against racing F1 behemoths like Red Bull Ford, Mercedes, and Ferrari. Red Bull driver and 2022 champion Max Verstappen of the Netherlands competes during the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race at the Circuit of the Americas, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022, in Austin, Texas.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"If approved by F1, Andretti Cadillac will compete against racing F1 behemoths like Red Bull Ford, Mercedes, and Ferrari. Red Bull driver and 2022 champion Max Verstappen of the Netherlands competes during the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race at the Circuit of the Americas, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022, in Austin, Texas.\" data-c-credit=\"Eric Gay, AP\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">&#8220;The initial outlay on a new Formula 1 engine is likely a nine-figure sum, which will be offset by GM already having a highly-developed R&amp;D powertrain team that will be familiar with the demands of electrical hybrids,\u201d said Bradley.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Ford has also made a commitment to F1, partnering with Red Bull \u2014 which has dominated the sport this year behind ace driver Max Verstappen \u2014 to set up a delicious Motown rivalry at the top of global racing. Ford\u2019s financial commitment, however, is not nearly as expansive as GM&#8217;s, as the Blue Oval will supply battery expertise while Red Bull engineers the full drivetrain.<\/p>\n<aside id=\"gnt_atomsnc\" class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_anc\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadAnc\" aria-label=\"Newsletter signup form\">\n<div class=\"label\" hidden=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"message\">\n<div class=\"title\">Get the\u00a0<span class=\"highlight\">Michigan Politics<\/span>\u00a0newsletter in your inbox.<\/div>\n<p class=\"description\">Washington and Lansing, red and blue, we&#8217;ve got your government covered.<\/p>\n<div class=\"frequency\">Delivery: Daily<\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"input-container populated\"><input autocomplete=\"off\" name=\"email\" required=\"\" type=\"email\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"clickable\"><\/div>\n<p><label>Your Email<\/label><\/div>\n<div id=\"bar\">\n<div class=\"highlight\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-primary\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-secondary\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">&#8220;The power unit is at the forefront of technological innovation, making the future of Formula 1 more sustainable while maintaining the spectacular racing,\u201d FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">In addition to Red Bull Ford, Ferrari and Mercedes, other manufacturers that have committed to F1\u2019s 2026 power unit are Alpine Racing, Audi and Honda.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-4\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"llx\" data-x-c=\"3\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">GM\u2019s global Cadillac luxury brand has taken the lead in GM\u2019s transformation and is a natural fit for Formula One with its massive, 450-million global television audience and suites and paddocks filled with upper-class customers who have been the most willing to buy electric cars.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cWhat GM needs is specialist Formula 1 knowledge, and that will be thin on the ground with all the other F1 manufacturers geared up for the new 2026 power units,\u201d said Bradley. \u201cIf GM is in F1 for the long haul, then the development and manufacturing costs could top $1 billion. (That\u2019s) a significant outlay, and it can&#8217;t afford to undercook this.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">GM said that development and testing of its F1 power unit is already underway. But Andretti Cadillac is also committed to getting its feet wet in the sport ahead of 2028 with a 2025 entry using the sport\u2019s existing hybrid tech. Alpine is rumored to be its choice of engine partner if Andretti Cadillac gets the green light as the 11<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0team on the F1 grid.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/11\/08\/PDTN\/71508143007-ap-23293805085111.jpg?width=660&amp;height=441&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Michael Andretti, left, listens as McLaren CEO Zak Brown speaks in the paddock ahead of the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race at Circuit of the Americas, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, in Austin, Texas. GM President Mark Reuss said the automaker won't drop its partnership with Andretti Global as it seeks to enter F1 racing.\n(Credit: Darron Cummings, AP)\" width=\"495\" height=\"331\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/11\/08\/PDTN\/71508143007-ap-23293805085111.jpg?width=660&amp;height=441&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/11\/08\/PDTN\/71508143007-ap-23293805085111.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=882&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"Michael Andretti, left, listens as McLaren CEO Zak Brown speaks in the paddock ahead of the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race at Circuit of the Americas, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, in Austin, Texas. GM President Mark Reuss said the automaker won't drop its partnership with Andretti Global as it seeks to enter F1 racing.\n(Credit: Darron Cummings, AP)\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Michael Andretti, left, listens as McLaren CEO Zak Brown speaks in the paddock ahead of the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix auto race at Circuit of the Americas, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, in Austin, Texas. GM President Mark Reuss said the automaker won't drop its partnership with Andretti Global as it seeks to enter F1 racing.\n(Credit: Darron Cummings, AP)\" data-c-credit=\"Darron Cummings, AP\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">That green light is hardly assured despite the high profile that the Andretti and Cadillac names bring in the United States, F1\u2019s fastest-growing market with three grand prix in \u201823.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">FOM is made up of the sport\u2019s racing teams and they have been resistant to sharing the sport\u2019s wealth with another team. Ferrari, for example, ahs been downright dismissive of the idea, but the FIA\u2019s approval in October of Andretti Cadillac was seen as a crucial push to get a deal done. Michael Andretti has rubbed some FOM members the wrong way with his blunt manner, but Reuss has been steadfast that Cadillac&#8217;s involvement is contingent on Andretti managing the team.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-5\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"llx\" data-x-c=\"4\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">England-based Williams F1 team boss James Vowles recently weighed in in support of GM and the value it would bring as a major production-car manufacturer. Insiders also say that an American team backed by an American manufacturer (Andretti also promises American drivers) is crucial for the sport\u2019s long-term U.S. health \u2014 not to mention the huge sums a battery-powered sport will require.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2022\/06\/06\/PDTN\/ce23d624-b3be-4306-b85a-0cb792f649c9-DowntownTrack_reuss-rencen-1.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"GM President Mark Reuss has been a passionate advocate for auto racing as part of GM's portfolio.\" width=\"479\" height=\"270\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2022\/06\/06\/PDTN\/ce23d624-b3be-4306-b85a-0cb792f649c9-DowntownTrack_reuss-rencen-1.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/presto\/2022\/06\/06\/PDTN\/ce23d624-b3be-4306-b85a-0cb792f649c9-DowntownTrack_reuss-rencen-1.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"GM President Mark Reuss has been a passionate advocate for auto racing as part of GM's portfolio.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"GM President Mark Reuss has been a passionate advocate for auto racing as part of GM's portfolio.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Cadillac and Ford have long played in motorsport from sportscars (Cadillac won the North American IMSA championship this year) to NASCAR (2023 champ Ryan Blaney drove a Ford) to IndyCar (2023 Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden was Chevy-powered). But those tightly regulated series pale in comparison to the financial commitment \u2014 and global reach \u2014 of F1. Beyond the 10-figure cost of drivetrain development, F1 teams typically burn a half a billion dollars annually.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">As GM makes a historic transition to battery power, F1 is a powerful statement of that commitment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>General Motors Co.&#8217;s announcement Tuesday that it has registered with Formula One racing to develop a gas-electric hybrid powerplant for its Andretti Cadillac F1 team by 2028 marks a major commitment by the Detroit automaker to the world\u2019s biggest motorsport \u2014 and to a battery-powered future. The commitment puts GM in elite company with Mercedes, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31707"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31707"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31707\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31708,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31707\/revisions\/31708"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31707"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31707"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31707"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}