Mario Andretti confirms that ‘wonderful’ driver who stunned Lando Norris ‘really wants’ to race for Cadillac

Cadillac are edging closer to a decision on their 2026 Formula 1 driver line-up. They will make their debut in just 10 months’ time.

The American brand will want their drivers in place for a full winter of preparation leading into testing. The consensus is that Cadillac will pair one experienced driver with a youngster, possibly an American.

It was reported just before the Miami GP, when the team held a launch event, that Cadillac had reached an agreement with Sergio Perez. This has subsequently been denied.

Indeed, Perez is holding talks with Alpine as he shops the market before making a decision. Cadillac have also been linked with Valtteri Bottas, currently the reserve driver at Mercedes.

Team boss Graeme Lowdon plans to choose drivers ‘on merit’, a point he’s made repeatedly. It seems nationality or commercial incentives won’t be deciding factors.

Mario Andretti marvels at the ‘pure speed’ of Colton Herta

Speaking on F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast, Cadillac advisor Mario Andretti was once again asked about Colton Herta. The California native is a nine-time IndyCar winner who has previously tested for McLaren.

Andretti is a big fan of Herta and told host Tom Clarkson that he’s ready for Formula 1. The 25-year-old said in January, via The Race, that he wasn’t sure whether he’d accept any offer, but he may now be in favour of changing disciplines.

“He had a wonderful test at Portimao for McLaren,” Andretti said. “I read the report on that from Andrea Stella.

“He really wants it. We will see, however. We’re just keeping our options open.”

Clarkson added that McLaren star Lando Norris, who partnered Herta in British F3, was in awe of his bravery in high-speed corners. He even called him a ‘hooligan’.

“He was Lando Norris’ teammate in the UK, in British Formula 3, and I asked Lando about him a few years back,” Clarkson said. “It was year one here in Miami.

“His memory of having Colton as a teammate was ‘he’s really brave, he’s really quick through the quick corners’. He’s probably brilliant on the ovals!”

Andretti replied: “He’s a great road racer, actually. The last couple of years, he really came around much better on the ovals. To me, that’s where he was shining, on the road courses.

“His wins have been pure speed, so that’s something.”

Where Cadillac F1 bosses stand on signing IndyCar star Colton Herta

Last week, it emerged that Cadillac were divided over signing Herta. Some in the team would see it as a ‘marketing’ operation, rather than sound sporting judgement.

And that faction may now be winning out. The latest reports suggest Herta is no longer a strong contender for Cadillac.

That could disappoint Andretti, but the scope of his power is limited. The team was initially supposed to run under his name, but F1 would only accept it under a different guise.

As it stands, Herta doesn’t have enough superlicence points to race in F1. Cadillac would likely have to pay an existing team to field him in a private test if they wanted to hire him.