When it comes to the precision engineering that gives Formula 1 cars the vital edge in the most technologically advanced of all sports, there can be no doubt that Britain is a world leader, with so much of the best work taking place here.
That does not mean there is any lack of competition, of course, with names like Honda and Ferrari a clear indication that the most prestigious names in motoring in general have a major stake in the sport.
Talking of ‘motoring in general’, few names stand out more than General Motors itself. The US carmaker, which owns brands such as Cadillac, Chevrolet and Buick, is now making the most ambitious of expansions.
Formal approval has now been given by the FIA for General Motors to become an F1 engine supplier from 2029, when it will supply the Cadillac team, which had its entry approved in March.
For some, the first thought might be that there is a bigger jump in the imagination between a typical Cadillac or Chevrolet and an F1 car than there is from a sleek Ferrari to its F1 equivalent.
Then again, that may be because Ferrari has been such a leading light in the sport. Equally, nobody doubts Honda’s prowess just because of the cars it provides for the mainstream market. In any case, GM has set up a separate unit to make its F1 engines. It has serious ambitions to break new ground and reach the very top.
FIA chairman Mohammed Ben Sulayem said the development “marks another step in the global expansion of Formula 1 and highlights the growing interest from world-class automotive manufacturers like General Motors”.
In part, this may be another step towards establishing F1 as a major sport in the US. But it also raises the fascinating question of whether, in a world where American tariffs are now a barrier in international car trading, one of that country’s leading names can produce an engine that puts Cadillac team drivers at the front of the grid.
