Mick Schumacher is trying to put his name in the hat for a seat at Cadillac in the 2026 Formula 1 season.
The German has been out of the sport since his sacking from Haas in 2022. In two seasons with the team, Schumacher scored just 12 points, with underwhelming machinery hampering his progression.
However, the 26-year-old did not help himself with several crashes costing Haas millions in damages. Mika Hakkinen says Schumacher damaged his reputation with F1 teams because of his accidents, which may explain why he has struggled to find a seat since leaving the sport.
The likes of Alpine, Sauber and Williams all rejected the German for a potential seat last season and for 2025. After spending two years as reserve driver for Mercedes, Schumacher is now seeking refuge in the World Endurance Championship with Alpine.
But Schumacher still has a ‘score to settle’ in F1 and is determined to find his way onto the grid for the 2026 season. Newcomers Cadillac may be his final chance to save his career.
Mario Andretti ‘particularly impressed’ by Mick Schumacher’s personality during secret Cadillac meeting
Joining F1 as the sport’s 11th team next season, Cadillac are in the process of narrowing down their options for their first two drivers in F1.
During the Miami Grand Prix weekend, Cadillac held talks with five potential signings – Schumacher being among them.
The German does have a possible connection to the team through Ferrari, who will supply their engines until General Motors brings their own power unit by the end of the decade.
Cadillac advisor Mario Andretti met with the 26-year-old during a secret meeting. According to a report from F1-Insider, Schumacher left an impression on the 1978 F1 champion.
Andretti was ‘particularly impressed’ by the German’s ‘willingness to engage in dialogue’ without an advisor or manager present. It is clear how determined Schumacher is to join Cadillac in 2026 and revive his F1 career.
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Mick Schumacher faces serious competition to land the Cadillac seat
The 26-year-old needs to strike a relationship and make an impression on the 11th team early. It has been reported that Cadillac are not considering Schumacher as an option for 2026 – having meetings with the team is a perfect opportunity to sell himself for next season.
Schumacher is performing well with Alpine in WEC, scoring a podium at the 6 Hours of Imola. If he can continue this form, he could put himself at the top of the pecking order for Cadillac, but he does face serious competiton.
Sergio Perez and Zhou Guanyu are ‘best positioned’ to join Cadillac next season. Both offer the American outfit huge commercial value, as well as better experience in F1 than Schumacher.
That, of course, could change quickly. Andretti wants to sign an American driver to the team, with the likes of Colton Herta and Jak Crawford linked with Cadillac.
Frederik Vesti is also attracting interest, with the Norwegian currently racing for the team in IMSA. Schumacher is among several drivers fighting for a chance to join Cadillac – he has to fight his case hard to return to the pinnacle of motorsport.
