F1 delivered crucial plea after 11th team u-turn

Williams team principal James Vowles has expressed a pivotal element F1 must focus on after opening its arms to an 11th team.

Late last year, F1 announced it had an agreement in principle with General Motors (GM) for the manufacturer to join the grid in 2026 under the Cadillac brand.

It comes after an initial rejection when the project was being led by former F1 driver Michael Andretti. The process is now set to be completed in the coming weeks.

Vowles highlighted the positive aspect of GM's willingness to fund a team, insisting it shows the sport is in a strong state of growth.

“First of all, it's a sign of how well the sport is doing that we have a major OEM like GM joining us,” Vowles told media, including RacingNews365. 

“I think it's just a sign of the growth, a sign of where Formula 1 is going.”

GM will be forced to pay a dilution fee to the existing F1 teams amid concerns over how an 11th team will impact the existing end-of-year payouts.

The figure originally sat at $200 million however it was labelled as too low by F1 teams who pushed for it to be tripled for a new entry to join the grid.

With GM set to share a portion of the prize money going forward, Vowles highlighted the importance of ensuring F1 continues to grow to protect the finances of the existing teams.

“I don't think there's any defined amount of dilution fee,” Vowles said. “I think that's a part of a 2026 Concorde [Agreement], which hasn't been ratified at this point. 

“What I've said all the way through is it will have financial loss for existing teams. 

“What we have to do now is grow the sport sufficiently and from a need to be aware of that to make things good for everyone.”