General Motors-Cadillac will become the 11th team on the grid in 2026 after reaching an agreement in principle with F1 bosses to join the sport. The group had an initial application rejected at the start of the year but have now been given the green light to compete alongside the likes of Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes.
The American team will be boosted by the fact that former F1 world champion Mario Andretti has agreed to serve on the team’s Board, although he won’t be involved in the outfit’s day-to-day running.
And Express Sport takes a look at four drivers Cadillac could hire for their first season in F1.
Mick Schumacher
Cadillac have been tipped to go down the route of backing American talent during their debut season in F1. But they may be better off bringing in at least one driver who has experience in the sport.
Mick Schumacher has failed to find a new team after losing his seat with Haas at the end of 2022 and would surely jump at the chance to get his F1 career back up and running.
The German was handed his F1 debut at the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix and featured in 43 races for his former team before being replaced.
His Uncle Ralf even suggested he fits the bill after being asked about the prospect of the 25-year-old joining the new team. “You start from scratch with everything and that will be damn difficult,” he explained. “That’s why you have to have someone who you know can do it and you can rely on him.”
Daniel Ricciardo
If Cadillac are after an experienced figure, they should look no further than Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian starred for Red Bull for five years and won seven Grands Prix for the Milton Keynes-based outfit.
He was Max Verstappen’s team-mate between 2016 and 2018, before going on to race for Renault and McLaren.
The 35-year-old then returned to the Red Bull set-up with Alpha Tauri last year and continued to race for the team after their RB rebrand before being replaced by Liam Lawson earlier this year.
Franco Colapinto
Franco Colapinto is one of the most talented young drivers in the world and was handed his maiden F1 drive for Williams at the Italian Grand Prix in September.
The 21-year-old Argentine has illustrated his potential by finishing five of his seven Grands Prix in a higher place than he began and has been widely lauded for his efforts. But he still hasn’t managed to secure a seat for 2025 and could be snapped up by Cadillac while he is available.
Jak Crawford
If Cadillac do want to turn their attention to American talent, they could pursue the signature of Jak Crawford.
The 19-year-old, who was born in North Carolina, impressed in the Red Bull junior programme before moving to Aston Martin in February. He is currently enjoying his second season in F2 after previously starring in F3 for two years.
