Cadillac are set to enter Formula 1 at the start of the 2026 season. It emerged at the start of this week that the General Motors subsidiary had agreed in principle to join the grid.
Their first task is to find an engine supplier, because they won’t be able to build a power unit in time. Senior advisor Mario Andretti says Cadillac are in talks with Ferrari already.
From 2028, they will use a General Motors engine and become a works team. This is central to their appeal, adding considerable value to the sport in the eyes of the existing outfits.
The initial focus will be on designing and building a car for the new ruleset. They can work from Andretti’s base in the United Kingdom – near the Aston Martin facility – and have already hired experienced F1 engineers.
Signing two drivers, in addition to reserves, won’t be at the very top of their list. But they’ll already be receiving expressions of interest.
Ted Kravitz says Cadillac plan to sign an American driver. Logan Sargeant previously represented the country on the grid but he lost his Williams seat midway through the season.
Jenson Button believes Colton Herta would be fast ‘from the word go’ for Cadillac
IndyCar driver Colton Herta is the early favourite for a Cadillac seat. Californian Herta finished second in this year’s championship behind Alex Palou.
Andretti says Herta is ‘definitely’ a candidate, though he still needs to attain a superlicence. He now has the endorsement of 2009 world champion Jenson Button.
Button raced alongside the 24-year-old at the Daytona 24 Hours in January. They delivered a third place for Wayne Taylor Racing.
Speaking on Sky Sports F1 ahead of the opening practice session at the Qatar Grand Prix, Button highlighted Herta’s natural talent. He also believes he has the ‘mindset’ to adapt to F1.
“He’s extremely quick. Everything he gets in he’s quick. IndyCar, he’s extremely quick. He was my teammate when we raced at Daytona earlier this year, and he just gets in and he’s on it.
“I think he’ll be quick from the word go. There’s obviously a lot of learning – very different to IndyCar – but I think he’s got the mindset.”
Former F1 designer raises one big concern about Colton Herta
Dan Towriss is also a ‘keen supporter’ of Herta, though a lot can change in 15 months. Towriss is heading up the project after business partner Michael Andretti stepped aside.
A number of F1 drivers have moved to IndyCar after losing their seats. Romain Grosjean and Marcus Ericsson are two recent examples.
The other direction is far less travelled, but the likes of Jacques Villeneuve and Juan Pablo Montoya have previously excelled in F1 after racing stateside. The sport needs a truly competitive American driver to accelerate its growth in a vital market.
Ex-F1 designer Gary Anderson fears that Herta makes ‘too many mistakes’ to succeed in F1. As the crash-happy Williams have shown this year, that can be especially problematic in the cost-cap era.
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