Ferrari and Andretti agreement: the necessary technical partnership
Today at 08:55 AM
A major first step for the new Andretti–General Motors team. Ferrari, true to its style, has announced via a very brief press release a multi-year agreement with the Americans to supply power units and gearboxes starting from the 2026 F1 season. All of this, of course, is contingent on the FIA and Liberty Media officially approving the registration of the eleventh team on the starting grid.
This news had been circulating for several weeks, ever since it became clear that General Motors would officially enter F1 on its own, without Andretti. Subsequently, the family of the legendary Italian-American driver was still incorporated into the project, which envisions external engine supply during the initial phase of the team’s journey from 2026. However, this came after the departure of Michael, son of “Piedone” who, it seems, was not well-regarded by prominent figures in Formula 1, perhaps due to his fiery and direct personality, which was not appreciated.
The agreement, according to Ferrari, is multi-year and includes both engine and gearbox, essentially the entire powertrain. It remains to be seen whether Andretti Formula Racing’s initial plan to manufacture its own engines starting in 2028 is feasible. For now, Ferrari will provide its power units to the newly formed team for at least two seasons, although the exact duration of the collaboration was not specified in the press release—similar to how Ferrari handled the announcement of Lewis Hamilton in February.
For Andretti/General Motors/Cadillac—hopefully, the definitive name of the team will be clarified soon, as it currently seems to be Andretti Formula Racing, to avoid further confusion—this is a crucial first step. Initially, it had caused hesitation within F1’s governance, which rejected the application several months ago, likely due to insufficient technical assurances.
Ferrari is thus re-entering the scene as a supplier, partnering with a team like Andretti. While it is clear that Andretti is taking its first steps in F1 from the other side of the pit wall, it brings a wealth of racing experience that ensures a high-level partnership. It is not yet clear whether Dallara will be involved in designing the chassis, as it already does for Haas. If so, it could simplify matters for Ferrari, despite the vastly different histories the two entities have in the world of motorsport.
With the departure of Sauber, a historic partner of Ferrari, the Scuderia risked being left solely with Haas, with whom it has an agreement through 2028. Having beaten the competition from Honda—though we doubt the Japanese are overly concerned, as they remain fully focused on the Aston Martin project—Ferrari can now count on a partner capable of better utilizing its powertrain, certainly more effectively than the Swiss team based in Hinwil has done in recent seasons.
It also remains to be seen whether, as with Haas, Andretti will have a technical department in Maranello to work closely with the Scuderia. However, since Andretti plans to handle everything in-house from 2028, this scenario seems unlikely. It is also worth noting that Andretti Formula Racing will need to pay an initial fee of only $450 million to enter F1.
This fee compensates the teams already present in the Circus for the reduction in their share of future prize money under the next Concorde Agreement, which will take effect in 2026. The Silverstone headquarters was inaugurated this past April, just months after Liberty Media's initial rejection. However, it is clear that the U.S.-based organization never gave up on its ambition to join F1.
The facility continues to expand, as does its workforce, while General Motors’ financial (and other) support will play a crucial role. With Ferrari as a high-level technical partner, Andretti's ambitions for achieving strong results appear well-grounded. That said, time will be needed to reach stability, particularly given the goal of producing an in-house engine by 2028. It is important to note that, in F1, the development timeline for a competitive power unit can easily stretch longer than expected.
— see video above —
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