There are 10 teams on the Formula 1 grid making every effort to have the fastest car possible for the upcoming 2025 season.
However, an 11th outfit – Cadillac F1 – have their eyes firmly set on 2026 and beyond.
It was announced at the end of November 2024 that an ‘agreement in principle’ was reached between F1 and General Motors to bring a new entry to the grid next season.
The project was initially pitched as an Andretti entry but that was rejected at the beginning of last year.
The increased involvement of General Motors – including the promise of creating their own power unit – was enough to eventually tip a decision in their favour.
Cadillac will use Ferrari engines to begin with and their task now is to build up their team – both at the track and in their factory – ahead of next season.
It’s not an easy task, but F1 world champion Mario Andretti is confident that the team will get up to speed quickly and is set to play an advisory role in their preparations.
In an interview with F1 Maximaal, Andretti spoke about one driver he would love to sign for the 2026 season.
He knows it’s unrealistic, but admits he would do anything to bring Red Bull star Max Verstappen into the fold.
However, even the prospect of building an entirely new project around the £45m-a-year driver is unlikely to tempt him away from his current outfit.
Mario Andretti would give his ‘right arm’ to sign Max Verstappen for Cadillac
Despite winning four Drivers’ Championships on the bounce, Verstappen is always being linked with moves away from Red Bull.
Mercedes have long held an interest in Verstappen and team principal Toto Wolff would find space for the Dutchman immediately if he became available.
Aston Martin are willing to pay huge money to sign Verstappen as they look to do whatever it takes to bring in the four-time champion.
READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend
When asked about Verstappen potentially moving on from Red Bull, Andretti admitted: “I know for sure that they [Aston Martin] would like to have Verstappen.
“Let’s be honest if you surround yourself with individuals who have proven themselves and shown that they are the best, then you almost have a guarantee that you are going to get results.
“Let’s be honest: who wouldn’t want Adrian Newey and Max Verstappen in their team? I would give my right arm to have them in my team, so I understand Aston Martin.”
Who could Cadillac sign as their drivers for their first season in Formula 1?
Verstappen is an incredibly unrealistic target but the way that the driver’s market shook out last year has left several very credible racers on the sidelines this season.
Valtteri Bottas could be an option for Cadillac as Mercedes are unlikely to stand in his way if he’s offered the chance to return to the grid.
Sergio Perez is another driver who has plenty of experience and would bring a serious amount of backing to Cadillac.
READ MORE: All to know about General Motors’ Cadillac F1 team from engine to drivers
He’s also got a huge following in North and Central America which will also be of interest to Cadillac as they hope to convert some of their fans from other racing series into F1 supporters.
Colton Herta has been linked with a move to F1 for some time and might be the best American option for Cadillac at the time of writing.
He still needs to acquire enough points to attain a Formula 1 superlicense but if Cadillac really want him, they could try and negotiate an exception for the IndyCar star.
Leave feedback about this