Although this season’s driver market is expected to be relatively calm compared to last season, there are two potential seats already up for grabs.
Cadillac have an agreement in principle to be on the Formula 1 grid in 2026 and confirmation of their position in the paddock is expected to arrive shortly.
That means there’s a 21st and 22nd seat that needs to be filled in the coming months and unsurprisingly, plenty of drivers are already putting themselves forward for a coveted spot in F1.
Last year saw the likes of Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu, Kevin Magnussen and Sergio Perez lose their seats during the winter break.
Bottas and Zhou will remain in the paddock as Mercedes’ and Ferrari’s reserve drivers respectively and Zhou could end up at Cadillac due to his connection with the newly-named team principal Graeme Lowdon.
However, drivers who have been out of Formula 1 for more than just a few months may also sense an opportunity to return to the paddock with the American outfit.
A report from the Spanish outlet Marca has shared more details about their driver search.
They believe that the work they’re currently doing with Marcus Ericsson could see the Swede become an unlikely candidate for one of their two seats in 2026.
Marcus Ericsson a ‘candidate’ for Cadillac F1 seat in 2026
The list of drivers linked with Cadillac is only going to increase as their F1 debut approaches.
Colton Herta appears to be the overwhelming favourite to race for Cadillac in 2026, although he still need to earn the required superlicence points to race in F1, something that stopped him from becoming a Toro Rosso driver earlier in his career.
This is where Ericsson enters the equation for Cadillac.
READ MORE: All to know about General Motors’ Cadillac F1 team from engine to drivers
In an interview with Viaplay, Ericsson confirmed that he had been aiding Cadillac with their Formula 1 project.
“They have asked me to fly to England to test different simulators,’ Ericsson said.
“I will give them my opinion so they can choose the right model for the whole organisation, including Formula 1, IndyCar and sports cars.”
Marca reports that Ericsson’s experience in Formula 1 and superlicence points make him a ‘candidate’ for one of Cadillac’s seats next season.
How did Marcus Ericsson previously perform in Formula 1 amid Cadillac return rumours
It’s safe to say that Ericsson wasn’t one of the stars of Formula 1 during his first spell in the sport.
After four seasons racing in GP2, achieving a best finish in the championship of sixth, Ericsson was hired by Caterham in 2014.
He didn’t score a point during his debut season although neither did any of his teammates – Kamui Kobayashi, Will Stevens or Andre Lotterer.
Caterham fell off the grid that winter, but Ericsson did enough to convince Sauber to sign him for the following season.
READ MORE: Marcus Ericsson explains the key aspect of IndyCar that is ‘harder’ than racing in Formula 1
He spent the next three years with the Swiss team, scoring nine points in 2015 before back-to-back points campaigns.
His final year in the sport was in 2018 when the team was renamed Alfa Romeo.
Ericsson once again scored nine points – bringing his career total in F1 to 18 – but was completely overshadowed by Charles Leclerc during his debut F1 campaign on loan from Ferrari.
That spelled the end of the Swede’s time in Formula 1 and while he’s gone on to have a decent IndyCar career while also racing for Cadillac in IMSA, it would be a huge surprise to see the 34-year-old back on the grid in 2026.
