Ever since the American-based media and entertainment corporation Liberty Media bought F1’s commercial rights holder FOM in 2017, the growing American influence in the sport and its culture has been impossible to ignore.
From just a single grand prix in the United States in 2017 to three in 2024, logos of several Fortune 500 companies suddenly appearing on the bodywork and overalls of teams up and down the grid and the most lucrative US TV rights renewal deals FOM has ever struck, F1 is enjoying unparalleled popularity among American companies as well as American race fans.For 2026, the advent of a new era for the sport with its revised V6 turbo power units will bring with it an entirely new team in Cadillac, the evolution of the original Andretti’s entry granted the blessing of the FIA last year.
This is the first time that Detroit motoring giant General Motors (GM) has stepped into the world championship fight to take on the likes of Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren. But there will be another entity involved that GM knows all too well – their longest and fiercest rivals: Ford.
Tying up with Red Bull to support the current world champions’ 2026 powertrain efforts, Ford’s return to F1 is the latest chapter in their rich history in the sport. Whether its through their championship-winning success as an engine supplier in the Cosworth era or bringing the Jaguar name to the grand prix grid in 2000 with the Milton Keynes factory which now bears the Red Bull name, Ford is no stranger to the challenges of Formula 1.
But 2026 will be the first time these two titans of the American motor industry will compete against each other at the highest level.
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As NASCAR developed and professionalised over the decades, the two companies dominated the Grand National series into its transformation into the Cup era. In the 61 seasons between 1955 and 2015, Ford and GM – through their Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac and Oldsmobile brands – claimed the championship a total of 58 times between them.
While the loyalties of NASCAR’s passionate fans lay more with individual drivers than manufacturers, Chevrolet were fortunate that two of the most successful Cup drivers in history – Dale Earnhardt Snr and Jimmie Johnson – won all 14 of their combined championships in their cars. Ford, on the other hand, powered David Pearson to his three championships – a feat matched this year by current Cup champion Joey Logano, another Ford driver.
Fittingly, Cosworth’s winning streak ended in 1988 when Rick Mears claimed victory with a Chevrolet engine in his car. It was then GM’s turn for a run of wins at the Brickyard, as they won the race for six consecutive years. During this time, the CART series was dominated by engines from both companies, predominately Ford-Cosworths as well as Chevrolets and Buicks, up until the end of the 1993 season when Chevrolet departed.
Although Ford’s most famous rivalry in sportscar racing was their legendary battles with Ferrari for the Le Mans 24 Hours with their GT40, they would naturally end up fighting against GM and its brands in GT racing both in North America and internationally.
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Ford revived its GT40 with a modernised Ford GT, then decided to mark the 50th anniversary of their 1966 Le Mans triumph by teaming up with Chip Ganassi Racing to produce a GTE-spec version. The car raced in both the IMSA series in North America and in the Le Mans 24 Hours against factory Corvettes and in the World Endurance Championship against a privately entered Corvette.
But unquestionably the fiercest duels between Ford and GM were fought out in what is now the Australian Supercars series. Originally the Australian Touring Car Championship, Ford and GM brand Holden were two of a suite of manufacturers represented in the series, including several Japanese makes like Mazda, Toyota and Nissan. But by the mid-nineties, the field consisted only of Ford Falcons and GM’s Holden Commodores.
For nearly two decades, the two models fought head-to-head in the renamed V8 Supercars championship. The Falcon and Commodore were elevated to iconic status within Australian motorsport, with events like the Bathurst 1000 and Gold Coast 600 attracting guest drivers from across the world of international motorsport.
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With Australians’ love of rugged, hip-and-shoulder racing and passion for sport, V8 Supercars leant into the war between the two brands heavily. Ford vs Holden became as intense a rivalry as any in Australian sport, with fans fully embracing the tribal nature of having to pick one side over the other. Multiple champion Craig Lowndes’ choice to switch from Holden’s HRT team to Gibson Motor Sport, who raced with a Falcon, was treason in the eyes of many Holden fans.
In moving into Formula 1 – both with differing levels of commitment – Ford and GM are stepping into an arena that many major, successful manufacturers have entered before them, only to leave with their tails between their legs achieving little. With Audi also taking over Sauber to become their factory team, Cadillac will not be alone in being the only brand competing in the world championship for the first time in 2026.
Whichever of the two is most likely to have the most success is difficult to call at this stage. Ford seem obvious to pick, given they are teaming up with the multiple world champions, but Red Bull have never designed and built their own power unit in-house before, and even with Ford’s expertise that is no minor task. Cadillac and Andretti are a brand new team, but they have the benefit of being currently unrestrained by the same testing restrictions placed on the existing 10 teams.
Either way, it will be a treat to see one of motorsport’s greatest rivalries finally being fought on the grandest stage of all.
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Paul Gee
27th November 2024, 9:13
GM picked up Holden in Australia and dumped it. They have no Australian fans. I hope the Red Bull Ford destroys their brand and they run home to detroit. Like Toyotas ill fated efforts
Short Circuit (@jjohn)
27th November 2024, 10:17
Not really , the first ones FX and FJ models were made at Pagewood in Sydney back in the day. They were GM. Sold as. Australia’s “own car”.
They both had the GM lion prominently displayed on the hubcaps and grill. GMH or General Motors Holden was always the truth. Designed I think by GM in US but deemed too small so we were allowed o go with it as long as it made money.
I think a reasonable comparison would be Vauxhall in UK or Opel in Europe.
Followed many directions and govt bailouts including Toyota joint venture.
Certainly evoked almost “manic” support or opposition from Blue Oval fans.
Supercars in most eyes (old ones) no longer exist.
Doh
27th November 2024, 11:45
I definitely don’t enjoy seeing Mustangs and whatnot nowadays compared to the old Holden’s and fords
Crawliin-from-the-wreckage- Special Unhinged Edition (@davedai)
27th November 2024, 13:08
Monaros v GTHO ‘s
were something.
As was the Ford fans dubbing the XU1 Torana as the TOYrana.
Maybe another gen will take it personally again. The “spirit” is gone for me
EffWunFan (@cairnsfella)
28th November 2024, 8:13
True…. If the only choices are this or ‘All Australians are GM fans’.
Webbo (@webbo82)
27th November 2024, 9:22
This really helps to understand the history, but I do think GM has a branding issue in Motorsport.
I just don’t ‘feel’ anything for Cadillac… Holden or Chevrolet are more synonymous with speed, performance and engineering to me.
Maybe that’s the point of using Cadillac but it’s quite an initial hump to get over.
As a car maker marketing exercise, surely you want the brand anyone in the world can buy?
ppzzus (@ppzzus)
27th November 2024, 9:31
if they do well those cars will be covered in Chevrolet emblems before the race is even over.
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
27th November 2024, 21:51
Maybe they’ll be Holdens in Melbourne.
Jungle
28th November 2024, 10:21
Be nice to see an F1 car with a little bow tie on the front.
David
27th November 2024, 9:58
I’m struggling to understand the branding as well. F1 is perhaps the only “global” motorsport, Cadillac is (as far as I know) a domestic US brand currently, and although the name has been used in sportscars recently it is not a “sporting” marque.
Meanwhile Ford (who I had completely forgot about going into partnership with Red Bull) are on the verge of dropping out of the European passenger car market completely.
These do feel like deals based on successful hype from Liberty rather than any real understanding of F1 as a tool to generate sales. Cadillac-Ferrari in particular will just end up at the back of the grid, I give them 3 years in the sport before GM withdraw (with no engine built).
SPArtacus
28th November 2024, 20:39
Yeah. They’re going to pay a $450m entry fee and leave in 3 years. Logical…
Daniel
27th November 2024, 9:32
From a European fan’s perspective, I can’t think of a rivalry that would be more… unexciting and uninteresting.
I don’t care about GM at all. If at least it was a single, recognizable car brand, instead of a bunch of many brands that I don’t associate with anything, neither with one another, nor with GM, which itself is a very blurry – almost meaningless – construct.
Also Ford is not a brand that has much value for me in the world of motorsport. Yeah, they’ve got the iconic Ford GT, but that’s a long gone past, other than that I only recognize Ford for Schumacher’s 1994 championship in a Benetton-Ford, and then their successfull Ford Escorts and Focuses in rallying. That’s it.
Ford is not McLaren, Ferrari, Porsche or Lamborghini – their identity is family sedans, not racing.
“Motorsport’s great rivalry”? Meh…
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
27th November 2024, 13:38
Are you serious? Ford is synonymous with motorsport. Maybe they don’t sell supercars, but they are just as big as, say, Renault: fantastic motorsport heritage, while selling cars for the people. The fast hatches or sedans people can (could) afford…
greasemonkey
27th November 2024, 14:07
Oh my. The most winning F1 engine design ever is the DFV.
Asd
27th November 2024, 15:11
Of course it is, the DFV was designed in 1967 – that’s a lifetime ago. Most of us weren’t even born yet. Actually, most of our parents weren’t even born there.
@fer-no65
“Ford is synonymous with motorsport.”
What kind of motorsport exactly? Tell me, I want to know. But don’t tell me about an engine from the 1960s ;)
SPArtacus
28th November 2024, 20:49
The vast, vast majority of celebrated motorsport achievements were done using third parties for both the engineering and racing operations. So, if that’s your requirement, you don’t really have many brands to celebrate. Ford has seen major success and participation in the 80s, 90s, 00s and beyond in a wide variety of categories from WRC, ATC, various GT categories and more. As for F1, they were in and out of the sport during 90s and early 2000s. It’s too bad they didn’t just stay a sponsor of Stewart which was going places. Their CEO at the time immediately ruined the whole thing.
As for the DFV, it may have debuted in the 60s, but it was still winning races will into the ‘70s.
SteveR (@stever)
28th November 2024, 1:29
That’s true. It’s also true Ford had nothing to do with designing or building the engine. Cosworth did. On a similar topic, the Mercedes engine was designed and built by Ilmor. This is all just branding stuff, not engineering. Ford is involved in the RBPT engine only on the electrical side…..
Honda, Ferrari, Renault, Toyota, Red Bull, and probably Audi are (or were) actually building engines…..
Postreader
28th November 2024, 10:59
Maybe if you just watched only F1 in the past 15 years. Ford, GM, Toyota, BMW… there are many names out of F1 right now that are absolutely huge for racing.
Alan Dove
27th November 2024, 9:48
Doesn’t really feel like true rivalry any more given the nature of how constructed F1 is as a business venture.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
27th November 2024, 10:29
Something about Cadillac being in F1 doesn’t fit for me. Le Mans, yes, but F1? Should’ve gone all out with Chevrolet instead.
I’m a massive Chevy fan in Argentina, but truth be told, Ford is just better in every way. F1, rally, Le Mans…
SPArtacus
28th November 2024, 20:52
The brand makes no sense for F1 other than being a luxury brand. It’s always been a brand for let’s put it bluntly, the very old (OK, before any us were born, it was a little cooler in terms of its demo) and I haven’t heard about them intending to pivot their brand and offerings in the US and China (only as in markets they sell enough in that it matters). Maybe they’ll rebrand eventually.
fawkes
27th November 2024, 11:06
Ford (Red Bull-Honda based engine) X GM (Ferrari engines), wow, can’t wait for it…
It goes to show the ultimate business that F1 has transformed under Liberty and how American OEMs belong to the past. Everything now is pure decals and aesthetic. Don’t get me wrong, love NASCAR and would love to watch a proper Ford X GM fight in F1 too…
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
27th November 2024, 14:44
Aston Martin-Honda will wipe the floor with Cadillac-Ferrari. But they might beat Alpine-Mercedes.
fawkes
27th November 2024, 16:34
Oh, I was almost forgetting those… Hahaha
Dark times in F1. I mean, in the 90s they at least did the rebadge with their title sponsors, like Petronas and Acer. Now it seems ok to have these Frankenstein’s. Speaking for myself, if I’m the CEO of an automaker I will never step in F1 without a proper in house engine.
Not to mention the all carbon fiber looks and how similar the cars are in general…
SPArtacus
28th November 2024, 20:55
They would have debuted with an in-house engine had F1 approved the entry within the first 3 years of their application. Now, it’s too late. You can’t fault them for running a placeholder PU while getting the chassis side up to snuff. Ridiculous badging exercises is nothing new in F1, but yes, it’s gotten a lot more silly.
roger norman
27th November 2024, 11:39
I don’t think people understand the GM approach here. They want to sell Cadillac SUVs to the people that buy Mercedes, Volvos, Genesis, Toyota, Land Rover, etc, SUVs in the United States initially. Then, if that succeeds here, they start selling around the world. And, as owners learn to like the Cadillac SUV, they will consider buying other vehicles in the Cadillac line. GM isn’t looking at the f1 venture as a contest between GM and Ford.
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
27th November 2024, 22:06
Bring on the road-relevant 23-inch F1 wheels. They’ll still find a way to change them in one point something seconds!
JimG (@jimg)
27th November 2024, 22:45
So… come 21st and 22nd on Sunday, sell on Monday?
Michael (@freelittlebirds)
27th November 2024, 15:12
I do wonder if GM’s decision to join F1 will mostly be affected by economic factors. F1 is a very expensive sport.
Personally, I will be shocked if the economy continues to do well under the returning President.
And if it’s any consolation, the US has $1 trillion in interest payments for the debt that will probably hit $2 trillion, if not more, in 2 Republican Presidencies or 4 Democratic Presidencies. Either way, the outlook is not rosy.
fawkes
27th November 2024, 16:40
Debt is not the problem in the falling US empire, is actually the source of their power along with the privilege of issuing the world’s most used currency for trade. Have you ever read Stephanie Keltons book? Give it a try.
Des Mo
27th November 2024, 22:14
Yawn, no big deal for anyone outside the US (and many there)
MarkWebber (@markwebber)
28th November 2024, 1:24
It’s reminiscent of the Toyota and Honda rivalry which isn’t significant outside Japan
EffWunFan (@cairnsfella)
28th November 2024, 8:36
I started reading the responses here holding some fairly firm opinions.
Now I don’t really care.
If a particular brand, name, marque, engine builder, or sponsor captures an individuals imagination, ramps up their emotions, and or otherwise enhances their F1 consumption then great.
If it doesn’t. Well, it’s hardly detrimental.
Jungle
28th November 2024, 10:24
Always loved the sound of a V8 since a little kid. Didn’t matter who made it.
Kick it in the guts Barry!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK2ijfxqlnY