Cadillac announces major signing as key Haas member joins the squad

Cadillac F1 team has reportedly roped in Haas' Team Manager Peter Crolla as the Briton is all set to join the American team ahead of their 2026 entry into F1. Crolla joined Haas since their inception in 2015, initially serving as Race Team Coordinator.

Cadillac are all set to become the 11th team on the grid after General Motors and F1 reached an agreement in November 2024 to enter their team into the sport. The decision is soon to be made public by FIA. A previous bid backed by Michael Andretti's Andretti Global was rejected.

As per Motorsport Week, Peter Crolla is the most recent addition to the team from Michigan as the American outfit construct their management staff in preparation for their F1 debut next year. GM had earlier announced former Marusia Sporting Director Graeme Lowdon as Cadillac's Team Principal.

The American company has been busy with its recruitment. Notably, Crolla is set to work in tandem with Nicholas Chester (Technical Director), Rob White (Chief Operating Officer), and Pat Symonds (Executive Engineering Consultant). Former F1 driver and world champion Mario Andretti will also be involved with the team as part of the board of members.

Andretti shared his excitement at being involved with the project and also explained that he has confidence in General Motors' ambition, saying:

"[GM] are very proud. Look at how they have grown in GT racing and sports cars and how successful they are there. They are not half-hearted. They are ambitious and have huge goals. I am confident they can achieve them," Andretti was quoted as saying [via gpblog.com]

Crolla has joined what can be perceived as a long-term project. General Motors are reportedly looking to produce not only a championship-winning car but also their own power units and gearboxes before the end of the decade.

With the target in mind, they also established GM Performance Power Units LLC in January, headed by General Motors veteran Russ O’Blenes.

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Cadillac F1 bid still under review by the FIA

Cadillac (Source: Getty)

If reports are to be believed, FIA is still reviewing Cadillac's bid to join the F1 grid, as the governing body reportedly enters the final stages of its assessment. It was announced by F1 in late 2024 that they had reached an agreement in principle to bring GM as the 11th team on the grid.

Speaking to racingnews365, an FIA spokesperson revealed that the organization was in the last stages of its due diligence before clearing the bid, saying:

"The FIA is currently reviewing the Cadillac entry. We are in the final stages of due diligence and hope to conclude the process soon.

"We are in the final steps of this process, and we anticipate reaching a resolution within a matter of weeks." [via racingnews365]

If the bid is cleared, Cadillac will become the latest team to join F1 since Haas made their debut in 2016.