Cadillac are going to join the Formula 1 grid for the 2026 season after agreeing to become the championship’s 11th team.
The American manufacturer will be a significant boost for Formula 1 as the sport continues to develop in North America with three races in the United States.
They will provide two cars to the grid, initially as a customer, before becoming a works team with their own engine by the end of the decade.
Cadillac and General Motors are putting in extensive groundwork ahead of their F1 debut. They have also been very successful in endurance racing and won the Manufacturers’ Championship in IMSA last season.
Formula 1 will be a step up as there are much more races over a season and a lot more money involved than North American endurance racing.
An American driver would boost the team with sponsors, but there are very few options. Naomi Schiff explained on Sky Sports F1 that Daniel Ricciardo may be a good choice.
Daniel Ricciardo would be a good option for Cadillac as he is popular with the American audience
Ricciardo was incredibly popular during his Formula 1 career, which yielded eight Grand Prix victories but ended frustratingly.
He left the RB team at the end of the Singapore Grand Prix before being replaced by New Zealander Liam Lawson.
Ricciardo’s popularity was boosted through the Netflix show Drive to Survive which is very popular in North America.
READ MORE: £1.5m-a-year F1 driver sees a ‘great chance’ to race for Cadillac after 2024 axe
Schiff explained it would be wise to sign an experienced driver to lead the team for the first season in 2026.
She said: “As some of the drivers were saying, bringing a new team into Formula 1 is a huge challenge in itself. I think maybe initially, it would be wise to have a very experienced driver in the seat to maybe help that team grow quickly, whether that’s Valtteri [Bottas] or whoever it may be, maybe even Danny Ricciardo.
“I mean, he’s popular in the American audience. He’s out of a seat. Who knows he’s going to take that seat? But I think initially, it might be worth having at least one driver that’s had a lot of experience in F1 in seat.”
Daniel Ricciardo may not be the best option for Cadillac
Ricciardo was very impressive during his Formula 1 career and took some superb victories such as at the Monaco Grand Prix in 2018.
He pulled off some excellent overtaking moves particularly at Red Bull at Renault with a very deft touch on the brake pedal.
The final few seasons were very difficult as he was beaten by his teammates Lando Norris at McLaren and Yuki Tsunoda at RB.
Ricciardo may not be the best option for Cadillac as he may have lost some sharpness after not being on the grid in 2025.
