General Motors will join the Formula 1 grid in 2026 racing under their Cadillac brand and while they’re expected to choose one American driver, Ralf Schumacher says they need F1 experience for the other seat.

And guess who has F1 experience? Yes, Mick Schumacher.

Cadillac need one ‘known name’ in F1

After years of debate, Formula 1 has announced General Motors has an “agreement in principle” to enter the sport in 2026 by becoming the 11th team.

But while Liberty Media chief Greg Maffei talked up GM bringing “additional value and interest to the sport”, and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem hailed the “huge global brand and powerhouse”, for drivers hoping to make it into F1 – or stay in F1 – this is monumental.

Formula 1 last had 11 teams and 22 drivers in 2016 before the financially-strapped Manor team went under after failing to find a new buyer.

Putting aside GM and Cadillac’s arrival on the global scale, it paves the way for two additional drivers to call themselves ‘a Formula 1 driver’.

Michael Andretti, the man who kickstarted General Motors’ interest and the tender process for the Formula 1 team that will be known as Cadillac, has in the past talked up Colton Herta while Pato O’Ward is on McLaren’s radar and line-up.

Both race in IndyCar where Herta was second in 2024 with O’Ward P5 in the Drivers’ Championship. They were beaten by Alex Palou, who too was in the McLaren F1 mix before a contract saga saw him stick with Chip Ganassi Racing. However, neither O’Ward nor Palou is American.

Former F1 driver turned Sky Deutschland pundit Schumacher reckons one of the Cadillac seats will go to an American driver.

“I’m pretty sure they’ll rely on American talent,” he told Sky Deutschland.

“On the other hand, it’s fair to say that the IndyCar level is not the Formula 1 level. We’ve seen that in numerous test drives.

“But that doesn’t mean that there’s some super talent lurking there that no one has found yet.”

But, having said that, he feels the team has to employ one driver with Formula 1 experience.

Asked about his nephew Mick Schumacher’s chances after the German missed out on a 2025 comeback after being passed over by Mercedes and Sauber, the former Toyota driver did not specifically hand over Mick’s CV.

“I’m assuming that they’ll get a known name to give them a starting point,” he simply said. “You’re starting from scratch with everything and that’s going to be damn difficult. That’s why you have to have someone who you know can do it and who you can rely on.”

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General Motors under Cadillac will be the second big global brand to join Formula 1 as Audi are taking over the Sauber team, rebranding that in F1 2026.

But while Audi come from a starting point in Sauber, for GM this is a brand new endeavour. But it’s one Schumacher believes they’ll nail.

“It will of course take some time, but General Motors is a huge corporation and whatever they tackle will work in the end,” he said.

“It is important for Formula 1 because it is another sign that such a global player wants to get into Formula 1. Formula 1 is still on a growth path. That is unbelievable.

“Then we will have eleven teams and I am looking forward to it because there will be another one and, above all, two places for new, young drivers. We know how difficult that is with 20 cars. Now we have ten per cent more at our disposal.”

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