Eye-watering Cadillac F1 fee labelled 'too low'

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has stated the fee imposed on Cadillac to enter F1 next year is too low.

General Motors is set to join the grid as an 11th squad in 2026, racing under the Cadillac branch and expanding the grid beyond 20 cars for the first time in 10 years.

The most recent Concorde Agreement included a fee to be paid for any party looking to set up its own team, which was initially set at $200 million.

However, this has since been reviewed and augmented as the value of F1 teams has boomed amid the sport's popularity burst across the last handful of years.

Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport, Wolff was asked if F1 should be overjoyed a manufacturer like Cadillac is investing itself in the sport.

“If Cadillac comes in now with a works entry and invests a corresponding marketing budget in Formula 1, then that is added value for Formula 1,” Wolff replied.

Worries over the so-called “anti-dilution fee” stem from concerns over how an additional team would impact the end-of-season payouts.

Despite the entry fee being more than doubled, Wolff stated the figure in its current state will still result in current teams losing out.

“In the first step, we lose out. We don't know what Cadillac will invest in Formula 1,” he said. 

“The compensation payment, which is currently said to be 450 million dollars, is too low. 

“It does not compensate for the direct loss of income. Only time will tell what the sport will gain with an eleventh participant. 

“If it increases, then everyone will have won. But we don't know. Nobody has spoken to me about exactly what Cadillac is planning.”