Cadillac are yet to decide on their driver line-up for the 2026 Formula 1 season, with several candidates on the shortlist to race for the team.
The General Motors-backed outfit will join the grid next year as the sport’s 11th team. F1 will introduce new regulations in 2026, which should help level the playing field when Cadillac arrive.
Many F1 teams think Cadillac may have a head start in 2026 as they can solely focus their development on next year, whereas the current teams must balance efforts on 2025 as well as the new regulations.
However, the American outfit expects to be at the back of the grid when they join F1. Therefore, it is crucial that Cadillac sign the right drivers to build the team into a competitive squad.
The consensus is that the team want an experienced driver to go alongside an American, or younger talent. Sergio Perez has emerged as a possible candidate, with his sponsors pushing to get him back on the grid after his exit from Red Bull in 2024.
The Mexican has been heavily linked with the team in recent weeks, with other experienced F1 drivers fighting him for a seat. Perez and Zhou Guanyu are ‘best positioned’ to join Cadillac, but Mario Andretti is refusing to say another target is ‘definitely out’ of the running.
Mario Andretti refuses to say that Colton Herta is ‘definitely out’ of the running for a Cadillac seat
Since Cadillac’s entry was confirmed for 2026, Colton Herta has been heavily linked with the team. The IndyCar driver has been tipped to make a move to F1 for some time, having had previous tests with McLaren.
Andretti is a keen admirer of Herta and would love to bring him across to race in the pinnacle of motorsport. However, the American driver faces problems on his quest to reach F1.
The 25-year-old does not have enough points to obtain an FIA superlicence through his IndyCar exploits, nor does he have enough testing mileage in F1 cars. Herta’s name has ‘lost weight’ in the race to join Cadillac, but that does not mean he is completely out of the running.
Speaking via the Spanish edition of ESPN, 1978 F1 champion Andretti refused to say that Herta was ‘definitely’ not in contention: “I wish I knew what was going on in his head. For now, what’s certain is that Colton isn’t sure,” he said.
It could very well be, but we don’t want to make any official announcements about whether he’s ruled out. It’s not definitely out, nor is it definitely in.”
READ MORE: All to know about General Motors’ Cadillac F1 team from engine to drivers
Mario Andretti issues update on Sergio Perez links to Cadillac
After Cadillac’s official launch at the Miami GP, Perez’s name has constantly been mentioned. The 35-year-old is in discussions with the team over a seat in 2026, but he also has other suitors.
Alpine have been speaking to Perez as they assess their driver pool for next season. Perez is also looking at Mercedes, with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli out of contract in 2025.
Andretti is not giving anything away about Cadillac’s drivers for 2026. He says that Perez is ‘definitely an option’ but there will not be an announcement anytime soon.
“Again, we’re not going to announce anyone right now. It’s not fair at this point. We’re looking at every possibility. Checo (Pérez) is definitely an option we’re considering,” he added.
“We’ll make driver announcements in due course, but we want to make sure we don’t leave anything on the table.”
