The two French Alpine drivers reacted to the upcoming introduction of the General Motors/Cadillac team into the paddock.
«No matter what the teams say and whoever won’t be happy, for us it’s fantastic.»: like Frenchman Esteban Ocon, F1 drivers welcomed on Thursday the arrival of an 11th team on the grid for the world championship in 2026.
«When I started in F1 there were eleven teams and I think that’s why I was able to join F1, thanks to Manor, which was the 11th team at that time (in 2016). My career would probably have been very different if I hadn’t had this opportunity», Underlined the French driver (Alpine) Thursday on the sidelines of the Qatar Grand Prix. “Twenty cars in F1 is not enough. Many other disciplines have 28 or 30 cars. That’s a lot of teams and staff, but for the sport and for us, it’s great“, he added.
The organizers of the F1 world championship announced Monday that the General Motors/Cadillac team would become the 11th team in the paddock in 2026, revealing “agreement on this principle» with the American automobile giant.
22 single-seaters on the circuit in 2026
«This is great news. I have always been in favor of the arrival of a new team and two additional cars on the grid. This is going to provide more job opportunities, so I’m very happy that this is happening», Commented the seven-time British world champion Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes). “It’s exciting, more cars means more opponents and more action on the track, so that’s good», Judged Frenchman Pierre Gasly (Alpine). “There are a lot of talented young drivers who dream of getting a place in F1 and this will obviously give them more chances so that’s a good thing», added Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari).
This decision came at the end of a long process of discussions between the two parties and will allow 22 single-seaters to compete in 2026, as was the case in 2013, 2014 and 2016. L1 even had up to twelve teams and 24 cars from 2010 to 2012.
Since the departure of Manor at the end of 2016, the championship has been contested by ten teams, whose managers were quite reluctant to join an eleventh team. But the involvement of General Motors in the project led by Michael Andretti, son of the 1978 F1 world champion Mario Andretti (84 years old), has changed the situation, especially since the American manufacturer will become an engine manufacturer from 2028.
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