Mario Andretti and co. can make F1 charge with Honda power units

With the Andretti-Cadillac partnership confirming its intentions to enter the F1 grid, there have been question marks over who the potential power unit partner will be.

The initial rumors had stated that the American team already had an understanding of Renault as a part of the team. This was somewhat confirmed when Alpine alongside McLaren was one of the few teams on the F1 grid that did not resist the American team joining the grid.

When questioned by Racingnews365 over who the potential power unit partner was going to be, Mark Reuss, the General Motors president, stated that the team already had a signed agreement with one. He said:

"We have a signed agreement with a power unit supplier to begin with. Then as we move forward, we'll bring a lot of our expertise to create things for the future as well."

There is, however, another aspect to this all where Honda could also possibly be in contention. The Japanese brand has already signed up as an engine manufacturer for the 2026 F1 technical regulations. The partnership with which Honda was supposed to enter was a continuance of one with Red Bull.

However, if recent rumors are to be believed, that deal is still on the shelf. The two parties have found it hard to agree on terms and Red Bull is apparently in talks with other brands like Ford and Hyundai.

At the same time, General Motors has an ongoing relationship with Honda and EVs, and the team is also competing against the brand in Indycar. According to Reuss, the partnership in F1 could indeed be on the table and up for discussion as well.

Growing resistance to Andretti's F1 interest is a bigger concern for now

For Andretti Global and Cadillac, a bigger issue for now is going to be the growing resistance against their entry into the sport. After the team's big announcement of its partnership with Cadillac for the Formula 1 project, the growing unrest within the incumbent teams was made public by FIA president Mohammad Ben Sulayem in a recent social media post.

The FIA president alluded to his disappointment and surprise at the adverse reaction to Andretti's supposed entry with a major global brand like General Motors. For the Andretti-Cadillac partnership, the bigger bone of contention and a cause for concern is going to be the unwelcoming nature of F1 teams. A possible engine partner when it does make it to the grid is going to be a much later concern for the American outfit.