The Formula 1 grid will expand for the first time in a decade next year following the confirmation Cadillac will join the field.
The opening race of the 2026 F1 season will see 22 cars on the grid. But which drivers will grab the two places at F1’s newest team?Any new arrival on the grid is always going to value experience. Last year’s upheaval in the driver market means Cadillac could easily pair up two drivers who have started hundreds of grands prix and won more than a few.
However at least one rookie driver has already been linked to the team as well. And there is always the possibility Cadillac could hire one of the 20 drivers already on the grid.
Current drivers
George Russell
Yuki Tsunoda
Red Bull overlooked Yuki Tsunoda for promotion at the end of last year, so now he is beginning his fifth season in the second, junior team. Tsunoda would bring experience at likely a low cost and he’s matured considerably since his early days in F1.
Former drivers
Valtteri Bottas
Valtteri Bottas is a multiple race winner with stacks of experience at a multiple-championship-winning team. He’d be an obvious target for a new team – potentially the only factor working against him is he’s not the only driver with such an attractive CV. His recent experience at a Ferrari customer team should also count in his favour as Cadillac will use prancing horsepower next year.
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Sergio Perez
Daniel Ricciardo
On paper, Daniel Ricciardo is a terrific candidate for Cadillac: Not only is he an experienced, accomplished driver with multiple grand prix wins, he has great name recognition from his starring appearances in Drive to Survive. However his career appears to be over following his struggles with the current generation of cars at McLaren and RB.
Kevin Magnussen
If Kevin Magnussen does return to F1 it won’t be the first resurrection of his grand prix career – he returned before after exits from McLaren and Haas.
Logan Sargeant
If Cadillac decide they must have an American driver, there’s only one available who’s already raced in F1. However Sargeant’s career came to an ignominious end last year when, having already learned Williams would drop him at the end of the season, he was shown the door nine races early.
Zhou Guanyu
Zhou Guanyu didn’t distinguish himself over three years alongside Bottas, but he’d likely be an inexpensive choice and has used Ferrari power units before.
Mick Schumacher
Ejected by Haas after just two seasons, Mick Schumacher is clearly keen to find a way back into F1, but Cadillac might have the same concerns over him that they do Sargeant.
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New drivers
Colton Herta
Alex Palou
If Cadillac chooses to go driver shopping in IndyCar they couldn’t do better than Alex Palou, who has become the series’ new star, winning three titles in his first five years.
Felipe Drugovich
Theo Pourchaire
Drugovich’s successor flitted around last year, making a brief appearance in Super Formula, then switching to IndyCar where he appeared to find a home at McLaren, only to lose his place.
Jak Crawford
A former Red Bull junior, now backed by Aston Martin, Cadillac would be wise to keep an eye on how Crawford gets on in F2 this year as his experience of F1 circuits could make him a better pick among the potential US drivers.
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Over to you
Which two drivers do you think Cadillac should target for its Formula 1 team? Have your say in the comments.
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Laz
10th March 2025, 11:04
Russell will be at Mercedes, doesn’t seem too likely Max will be taking his seat.
Tsunoda definite question mark there, but really needs to put in some performance this year to make the claim.
Bottas will be looking at that seat for experience he’s a good shout.
Perez much the same as Bottas.
Ricciardo, no he’s done with the sport.
KMag, Zhou, Sargeant, and Schumacher all the same as Ricciardo, except they don’t even have Ricciardo’s past quality to back them up.
Herta – Maybe if he gets his superlicense.
Palou – doesn’t really seem to want to leave a championship where he’s winning to tootle around at the back of the grid.
Drugovich – has sat on the sidelines for years now without a look. There are better more proven option and I doubt he’s on anyones F1 radar at the moment.
Pourchaire – Sauber didn’t even want him.
Crawford – Only reason for him being on the list is he’s American.
To summarize.
Bottas, Perez, Tsunoda maybe.
Herta almost certainly if they can actually get him in the seat.
Jere (@jerejj)
10th March 2025, 11:34
Pretty much my feelings as well, so more or less Herta/Crawford-Perez/Bottas to meet the two criterias they’re looking for.
BasCB (@bascb)
10th March 2025, 15:06
I do think Zhou might have some appeal to them, but that might depend on how much GM sees themselves able to even get a foot into the Chinese market at all in the current world.
dot_com (@dot_com)
10th March 2025, 11:18
I think they will make a serious play for Herta. It would be a great story and great PR for them. I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to get Bottas in the other seat, his experience will be invaluable to them, and he’s keeping himself immersed in F1 this year with Mercedes. It’s hard to imagine they would consider Perez or Ricciardo, unless they’re hunting popularity over consistency.
Jere (@jerejj)
10th March 2025, 11:34
Regarding Perez, they mightn’t necessarily hunt for popularity, but rather the geographical marketing benefits he’d bring.
Bottas may be a better option, not only because he has a better statistical record in F1, but also because he doesn’t have a lengthy subpar performance behind him, but unfortunately, for him the lack of marketing benefits could go against him in the end.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
10th March 2025, 12:13
Yes, as I see it, it’s not just about statistics: bottas had a better record when they both got a comparable top car in 2021, and from then on perez only got worse, never really reached bottas’ or his own 2021 level, let alone the level he had before joining red bull.
S Arkazam
10th March 2025, 11:24
I wonder if Perez’ salary will come with 25% tariff if contracted by an American team ;)
Jere (@jerejj)
10th March 2025, 11:30
I know this article is only supposed to suggest rather than claim definitively or anything.
However, the majority in this list are unrealistic for one factor or another, but looking through everything realistically the matter goes as follows:
Cadillac could go for two vastly experienced drivers simultaneously, i.e., Perez & Bottas as they don’t definitely need to have an American driver, but wanting to have one immediately is totally understandable, not to mention fully within their rights.
As their clear target is to have a combination of an American & a driver with vast F1 racing experience, more or less everyone with limited or zero previous F1 racing experience is off, which automatically means Drugovich & Pourchaire nor do they even otherwise have a chance, but also Zhou, & merely mentioning Mick is pointless as his F1 career is definitely over for good or otherwise he would’ve already received a chance for a full-time return, so zero chance as is the case generally for drivers without vast experience & sporting success in F1 if they fail to make a full-time return after more than one season, so everyone, including Mick himself, should just fully accept his fate.
Alex Palou doesn’t qualify for the two relevant criteria either.
Jak Crawford is someone who I think might in the end get the nod since Herta has been skeptical about switching to F1 deep into his professional career anymore, meaning that he might even directly decline an offer even if he reached super license-eligibility.
Alternatively, Cadillac could offer a drive to another current American IndyCar driver.
Mentioning Sargeant is also rather pointless as not only is his F1 career definitively over for good after totally flopping his chance in the end but also because he’s seemingly stopped active racing altogether like Latifi did.
Likewise, Russell & Tsunoda shouldn’t be mentioned either because the former isn’t going anywhere anytime soon & Tsunoda would have a chance only if he stopped his Honda affiliation altogether, so either Aston Martin or nothing for next year, i.e, most likely nothing as far as racing in F1 full-time is concerned.
Kevin Magnussen’s F1 career is also over for good this time around rather than only for the time being due to how many chances he’s already received, so further back-&-forth comebacks & departures are highly improbable + he’s indirectly implied that he’s done, while Ricciardo definitely declared he’s done back in November, so the article rightly points out that he’s career appears to be over & I’m doubtful about a change of tone nor that Cadillac would even want him after all the recurring subpar performances post-2020.
Regardless of how long the short-list ultimately is, Perez & Bottas are the only true contenders for the experienced driver criteria, & while Bottas has a better statistical record in F1 & only two seasons less experienced, Perez is in a more advantageous position thanks to Carlos Slim & the Mexican market being Cadillac’s only market from what I’ve been told, so in all likelihood, the drive is his as long as he has enough motivation to compete in F1 again.
Therefore, everything considered, their first lineup will likely be Crawford-Perez.
I’m always annoyed that people won’t bother to be fully realistic & reasonable with their expectations but instead throw out more or less all drivers they can think of, even the most clear-cut non-options.
El Pollo Loco
10th March 2025, 12:49
Indeed, Sargeant couldn’t even get an Indy Car team to take him at a reasonable price. His family probably feels it’s either F1 or nothing for the price and ego invested.
You’re wrong about Tsunoda though. He’s been officially cut loose by Honda. So, those links are not an issue. Besides, maybe Bottas, he’s their best option IMO.
Ricciardo would seem to be a natural choice. He’s like the closest they could get to an actually popular American driver (I.E., he’s very popular in America, speaks English as his first language and knows the county well). People exaggerate his under performance. Largely because people will always set expectations at what he once was. He was essentially on Yuki’s level for the better part of 2024 and his highs were higher, but worryingly his lows were lower than Yuki’s.
Perez is a boring, but sensible choice in terms of $ and automatic fan base. Not performance though. He made 2024 Ricciardo look like Verstappen. He’s been that bad. You have to wonder if he’ll ever mentally recover the confidence to even be the quality journeyman he was at his best. I doubt he’ll ever be as good as he was at his best.
Drugovich looked quick in the practice session he was given and he’s had a ton of experience being part of an F1 operation full time. My gut says he’d be faster than any of the other drivers on the list.
For me the most sensible choices are Bottas and Tsunoda in terms of performance + experience.
I’d list FD + Ricciardo as very sensible alternatives since DR would bring more awareness/media coverage + sponsorship than any other pair of drivers combined excluding Checo and Drugovich has more potential than any others on the list IMO.
I’d also suggest less high profile candidates such as Paul Aron also provide some of the most raw potential. I think we’re in a transition period where most of the rookies like Aron and the incoming rookies are going to be faster than most of these lingerers. For example, I think Bortoleto will match or even beat Hulkenberg and would beat Bottas or Ricciardo let alone Perez.
Finally, if they can snatch the 2025 F2 champion or a close runner up, that’d make a lot of sense if paired with a veteran.
El Pollo Loco
10th March 2025, 13:11
Let me add, those suggested choices only apply if they’re looking at least one driver w/big sponsorship and adopting the typical overly cautious driver choices of F1 teams. If it were in my power, for at least one of the drivers, I’d go for the best current F2 drivers + guys like Drugovich or Theo P than any of these worn out leftovers or Indy Car drivers. I’d also wait until F2’s mid-season to see if there’s a stand out that can be wrestled away from an F1 driver program or if lucky, someone who’s free and clear.
Yes (@come-on-kubica)
10th March 2025, 11:33
Verstappen and Alonso.
UNeedAFinn2Win (@uneedafinn2win)
10th March 2025, 11:42
Sebastian Vettel and ofc,
Kimi
pcxmac (@pcxmac)
11th March 2025, 19:02
get Seb on the tredmill. and KMAG (screw BMW).
Coventry Climax
10th March 2025, 11:48
‘Spoilt for choice’ depends largely at how high you aim. There’s some 8 billion people on the planet these days; take your pick?
So I don’t think they’re ‘spoilt for choice’ at all, but carefully need to choose from only a ‘couple, seriously potential candidates’.
Russel is one of them, but can’t see Mercedes let him go. Or him wanting to go. So: ‘seriously’, but not potential.
Tsunoda lacks the qualities – period. And certainly not the qualities to help a developing team, as the guy himself is a slow developer.
Out of Bottas, Ricciardo, Perez, the Zhou and Guanyu twin (never remember which one is his lastname), Schumacher, Magnussen and Sargeant? The chinaman going to an american team? These days? Joke.
Maybe, just maybe, Magnussen still has some inner drive left to actually accomplish something. The rest of them are jade spirits. So: No(t) potential, however seriously.
Herta and Palou have already resigned to not being welcome in F1 in the first place, and I don’t think they’re even considering it anymore. Thanks you guys, that govern F1 these days, for your broad insight and open mind. So: they might have the potential, but I seriously doubt they’re still potential candidates.
So what’s left, the rookies? That wouldn’t be a choice, it’d be a gamble. But hey, Vegas is on the calendar, so who knows. (Noone, which is the point here.) No proven potential, hardly serious candidates.
No, if they even as much as try to be considered being serious about their new team, spoilt for choice is certainly not the situation currently.
Even if they just look at it from nothing but a commercial point of view, they must be very shortsighted (which I think commerce actually usually is, to be fair) to go with the old names. Those had their turn already, and proved to not be seeworthy. Whether that’s ‘to begin with’ or ‘anymore’ doesn’t matter. So those names may not even have only the commercial value they’d like, potentially or seriously.
Tony Mansell (@tonymansell)
10th March 2025, 13:15
I dont know why Herta or Palou haven’t stepped up, did one of them test, was it Mclaren? F1 seems to be bending over for the USA these days and that would seem to be another piece in the USA’s influence and interest in F1. Im sure Bernie would be salivating at the fact but unloved Liberty dont seem that bothered
GeeMac (@geemac)
10th March 2025, 11:50
Bottas / Herta is the lineup which jumps out logically.
bull mello (@bullmello)
10th March 2025, 15:10
Bottas / Herta makes the most sense at this point.
What about Arthur Leclerc? Maybe?
Tony Mansell (@tonymansell)
10th March 2025, 11:56
Spoilt for choice? A list of has beens and never were’s. There doesnt seem to be any superstars waiting to disrupt the cosy gang of drivers circulating f1 teams. That Hulkenburg is still getting a drive after nearly 250 appearances and ZERO podiums is a stark reminder that f1 is prohibitively expensive to get to and teams are ultra conservative. Even with a gaggle of rookies coming in this season, are any of them future WDC’s? More, a safe pair of hands who will hit their delta’s and talk pleasantly to the media
Coventry Climax
10th March 2025, 12:05
Ha, you needed quite a couple of words less to more or less say what I thought.
Native english speaking probably has to do a bit with that.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
10th March 2025, 12:18
However we’re talking about a new team, we’ve seen with honda how difficult it is to be competitive nowadays, even if you have the resources, so I believe they don’t need a superstar until and unless they can make a proper car, as long as they’re at best a midfield car, a driver like bottas or perez will do.
El Pollo Loco
10th March 2025, 13:00
True, but it helps motivate staff to have a driver you know is the business as well as attract more talent. You couldn’t be sure you were getting the most out of your car with a single one of these drivers. It feels more like a pick of threadbare pantry than being “spoiled for choice.”
Drivers like Bottas, Perez and KMag still being around last season is a sign of just how overly cautious F1 teams are. It’s why to me it’s no surprise rookies are all appearing to be so much more competitive than anticipated. I’d be going for the best F2 drivers I could get or an ignored recent winner for at least one of my drivers.
hunocsi (@hunocsi)
10th March 2025, 14:01
I don’t disagree that this is not a top selection, but there can be only so many top drivers around, so for the rest of the grid, teams can be either “ultra conservative” and take the proven midfielders, or gamble for the rookies, and most likely hope that they can be a future proven midfielders, because getting a future top driver is pretty rare, whereas picking someone who isn’t an F1 level is still the most likely.
Cadillac would be very lucky to get a Russell-Palou level pairing, but I don’t know why either of them would leave their current (close to) top seats to most likely be a backmarker for a couple of years. A Tsunoda-Herta level of pairing would actually be pretty decent at this point, someone with 5 years of F1 experience and an American who isn’t terrible, I don’t think they can aim much higher at this point.
El Pollo Loco
10th March 2025, 18:04
I disagree and I’d say the data disagrees. Since, let’s say 2015, how many rookies have failed to prove good enough to at least be midfield F1 drivers? (not including drivers who were there partly or wholly because they brought $ like Sargeant, Mazepin or Zhou)
MG1982 (@mg1982)
10th March 2025, 12:17
Ricky Bobby and his wingman. They will come to defeat Girards’ nephew: Verstappen.
An Sionnach
10th March 2025, 17:49
Jean Girard has some similarities to Prost. French, intelligent, drives fast, but with control and finesse. Also, Prost tried to push the car over the line at least once.
El Pollo Loco
10th March 2025, 18:11
Surprised Perrier never did a one-off NASCAR or F1 car sponsorship. That’d have been funny + viral. TBH, until Agent Krasnov stops aiding the Kremlin, I’d like to see US drivers banned from the grid just like Russian drivers were. Though w/Liberty and MBS running the show, I know that’ll never happen.
An Sionnach
10th March 2025, 18:13
Perhaps Bobby can hand over the reigns to his sons Walker and Texas Ranger?
Christopher Rehn (@chrischrill)
10th March 2025, 12:21
Realistically they will pick Colton Herta if he finishes high enough in Indycar. The other two drivers, Marcus Ericsson and Kyle Kirkwood, are simply not up for it. Marcus is too old even with his F1 experience, and Kirkwood is behind Herta in the pecking order. With that said, Marcus Ericsson will likely do simulator driving and helping Cadillac overall, he will know F1 better than most Andretti folks.
If Herta cannot get his super license, I could see them skipping the American wish for a year and pick Tsunoda alongside someone more experienced.
Realistically, I think Perez and Ricciardo are more likely to get the nod than Bottas thanks to their popularity in that part of the world. Perez is Mexican and huge in Latin America. Ricciardo is essentially American too.
Tony Mansell (@tonymansell)
10th March 2025, 13:10
Perez will be high up on their list which just shows there isnt much around and that he brings a fist full of dollars to a team that would very much welcome it. But if we are talking of bucks over talent then crash happy Colapinto can bring that also and at least shows some pace, is young and will attract TV cameras even if its just in time to catch him binning it
dutchtreat (@dutchtreat)
10th March 2025, 12:26
Bottas & Colapinto
t1redmonkey (@t1redmonkey)
10th March 2025, 12:41
I don’t really mind, but I’d prefer two new (or at least young) drivers. Those names mentioned of ex-drivers are not interesting and are all either well past their peaks, or just not good enough for F1. Drugovich/Pourchaire would be a good combo I think and both probably deserve a shot at an actual race seat in F1.
Tom
10th March 2025, 13:15
American team needing an american driver, so I guess Herta is a given (even tho he downplays it now), so we’re just left speculating for the other seat.
I think Bottas is a safe-ish option, but I find his racecraft really boring and don’t know how everyone keeps bringing him up: won some races in a spacecraft Mercedes, otherwise he was on par with or just slightly better than post-spring Massa and Zhou. Tsunoda, I find him really entertaining and I hope he has a seat somewhere for 2026.
Btw, another option will be Doohan, since his days are already numbered at Alpine, or Cadillac could also just wait and see if some youngster will set F2 on fire this season. But, again, all speculations. My bet is Tsunoda-Herta
Ideals (@ideals)
10th March 2025, 13:47
It would be quite a damper if any of the “former drivers” from that list get a seat. All of them washed out of F1 after several seasons of mid-at-best performances. Like, sure Perez brings some of that Carlos Slim money, and sure Ricciardo is marketable. But do we really need to see them back in F1 at this point?
One of the American IndyCar drivers that wants to make the jump to F1 would be much more exciting to see, even if they crash and burn (not saying they actually will, just hypothetically) it would be much more interesting to see than another season of Zhou Guanyu in F1.
I’d say either go for someone like Gasly or Tsunoda along with Herta/Palou, or perhaps an F2 talent. If you really want to be exciting, go for both Herta and Palou (or someone else from IndyCar that fancies a go at F1). Just don’t go for drivers that lost it or never had it, because that’s just old hat boring.
MichaelN
10th March 2025, 17:05
Agreed. Unfortunately, the super license might force them to do something like this. But between F2, WEC and Indycar there are still quite a few drivers who could be allowed to drive. I hope they come up with something interesting. Like Newgarden. Give him the money he wants to spend, say, three years in F1. Then go from there.
We really don’t need to see more of Bottas and Pérez.
Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
10th March 2025, 14:51
To me it seems that it is most likely to be Perez or Ricciardo, because of their links/appeal to North America. Plus ideally a native American. I don’t see why though a multiple Indy Car champion would want to give that up to drive around at the end of the field in F1.
I am not really sure that Ricciardo would want to do this either.
An Sionnach
10th March 2025, 14:52
What about Brad?!?
Jeter (@quoolbreeze)
10th March 2025, 18:34
Yuki and Valterri
Radoye
10th March 2025, 15:18
Wasn’t there a news article recently that Sargeant retired from racing completely?
Also, Palou is not going anywhere. After all the contractual shenanigans from the past few years i don’t see Ganassi allowing him to leave.
scss (@scss)
10th March 2025, 19:46
A tough call.
Herta is/ought to be a given.
Bottas brings tons of experience.
A goot starting point.
Palou – perhaps in a few years. I don’t see George going anywhere.
Dougracing (@dougracing)
10th March 2025, 21:03
Herta + Drugovich
Elvira
11th March 2025, 0:29
Who would sell the most Cadillacs in a yank tanking economy?
Free_B
11th March 2025, 1:08
As seemingly inconsequential as this may be on a site named (and devoted to) racefans, the single biggest factor in this selection, I think, is gonna be politics. Liberty and the FIA were seriously pressured by American politicians to get the Caddy project in play. No way that after all that pressure, and in this “America First” age that they will accept no American drivers in the line-up: simply impossible. And given the anti-Mexican political situation, Palou and Perez have zero chance. Similar reason why Zhou has no chance.
Cadillac can make the case that they need an experienced hand and so I could see a US-friendly face like Ricciardo… AND GM is making a big push into the Australian market so there is commercial value there. KMag or Bottas could be possibilities as the former has raced in the US (and for an American team) and the latter is popular stateside.
We can argue merit and talent until the cows come home, but politics will decide!
Goriot
11th March 2025, 6:39
An F1 driver with lots of experience and living in the USA… Romain Grosjean !!
jpvalverde85 (@jpvalverde85)
12th March 2025, 17:19
Without a particular order, my top picks for Caddy would be Palou, Hertha, Checo and Danny, all of them afine to America, with plenty experience. Rusell and Bottas hardly will be released by Toto. Felipe could be a top pick to have around from the new generation, but I’m unable to trace a line between him and Caddy, also would be wise to have a pair of experienced drivers to push hard on the initial development of the car.