GM boss says ‘badge racing’ jibes ‘uninformed’ following Andretti F1 announcement

Suggestions that General Motors engages in “badged racing” are “uninformed” according to its President, Mark Reuss.

The comment came in a tweet from Reuss and, while not addressing any particular criticisms of the Detroit-based automotive behemoth, is notable for its proximity to Andretti Global’s recent announcement regarding Formula 1.

It was only late in the preceding week that Andretti and GM announced their intention to team up in pursuit of an entry in F1, with the latter represented by the Cadillac marque specifically.

That would go some way to addressing F1’s desire for a new OEM, although it was lukewarm in its response to the latest development in Michael Andretti’s endeavour to get into the championship.

The lack of enthusiasm could well be due to the fact that GM would not be building its own power unit, at least at the outset of the project, with Mario Andretti revealing early last year that the team had struck an agreement with Renault.

Now, Reuss has taken to Twitter to declare, “It is uninformed that anything in GM is ‘badged racing’.

“We have styled/designed the most beautiful cars. We have engineered a massive transformation to electrified power cube. We work hand in hand with our race teams. We are committed.”

Said tweet included imagery of the new Cadillac V-LMDh which Chip Ganassi Racing will field on the marque’s behalf in the top classes of this year’s FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA SportsCar Championship.

The V-LMDh is powered by Cadillac’s own 5.5-litre V8 engine, known as the ‘LMC55R’, which represents a key point of difference to the Formula 1 project.

In that regard, one might wonder whether Andretti Cadillac would be akin to Alfa Romeo Sauber, with the Italian marque essentially a sponsor of the team which will become Audi’s factory effort from 2026.

It is that sentiment which Reuss may have sought to address with his tweet, hinting or at least seeking to give the impression of genuine technical involvement in the project, as the industry continues to digest the announcement which he was part of just over a week ago now.

Whatever the case may be, Cadillac Global Vice President Rory Harvey admitted there is “a long way to go” in the effort to join F1 while fronting media along with other IMSA OEM representatives in recent days.

The Ganassi Cadillacs will take to Daytona International Speedway from next Friday, January 20 (local time) for the Roar Before the 24.

READ MORE: OPINION: Making sense of Andretti and Formula 1