Cadillac F1 Driver Lineup: What Are the Options Available for F1’s 11th Team to Choose From?

Having reached an agreement in principle with F1 earlier this week, Cadillac (along with General Motors) is set to join the F1 grid as its 11th team starting in 2026. The first question that comes to mind now is: who will make up their driver lineup?

With most of the existing teams already having confirmed their driver pairings for the long term, Cadillac may have to rely on an entirely new set of drivers. They could be forced to choose from options that no one else on the grid wants or take the risk of signing a rookie.

However, this could be a blessing in disguise for Cadillac, an American team. To boost its popularity back home, they could look to IndyCar for talent—a series with which they are familiar due to their previous involvement. Many talented stars are competing there today, some of whom have also shown a strong interest in making the jump to F1.

Top IndyCar drivers who Cadillac Racing can consider

Alex Palou

Palou, a three-time IndyCar champ could be the most sought-after driver. He clinched his third title this season with Chip Ganassi Racing, a big name in the States. However, it’s not just IndyCar that stands out in Palou’s CV. He has also competed in F3 and F2, which are officially the feeder series of F1.

Moreover, since he has also been a reserve driver for McLaren’s F1 team, he has experience driving F1 cars. While Palou is likely to be a top candidate for any F1 team looking to sign a driver, what could help Cadillac Racing convince him to join is the fact that the 27-year-old has raced for them in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

However, the question that arises is whether Palou would be keen on competing in F1 after all the legal drama he went through with McLaren just to get a spot. When asked if he would have liked to join F1 earlier this year, Palou replied, “I tried, but it didn’t work out. That doesn’t bother me otherwise. Tried, didn’t succeed and that’s it. I haven’t missed anything. Nor do I think Formula 1 has missed anything“.

Colton Herta

Other than Palou, another IndyCar driver who has caught the eye of several teams is Herta. The 24-year-old is currently driving for Andretti Global in IndyCar and was the favorite to secure a seat in F1 if the American outfit’s bid to join the grid had been successful.

Now, with another American team—Cadillac Racing—getting the nod, Herta could enter the mix again. He is believed to be one of the quickest drivers on a one-lap pace, but the one thing that may work against him is that, unlike Palou, he still does not have a super license, despite his best efforts to obtain one.

Pato O’Ward

Another IndyCar driver Cadillac Racing could consider is O’Ward, who currently races for Arrow McLaren and made his debut in an F1 free practice session at the Mexico City GP. Although the Mexican has not publicly expressed a desire to compete in F1, he would likely seize such an opportunity with both hands if any team showed interest in signing him. There are two key reasons why he could be one of the top IndyCar candidates for a seat in F1.

Firstly, like Palou, he also holds a super license, and with the Spaniard showing little interest in F1, O’Ward could become the frontrunner among current IndyCar drivers. Secondly, given O’Ward’s large fan base in Latin America, he could attract lucrative sponsorship opportunities for any F1 team eager to sign him.

Junior Drivers

Jak Crawford

After no team showed faith in signing any rookies for the 2024 season, next year will see four rookies — Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber), Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Jack Doohan (Alpine), and Oliver Bearman (Haas) — compete in their maiden full-time F1 season. With most of these rookies having been highly impressive despite their lack of experience in the pinnacle of motorsport, Cadillac Racing could also place faith in one of them when they join the grid in 2026.

One option the American team could consider is Crawford, who is currently racing in F2 with DAMS Lucas Oil. He is fifth in the championship and has registered five podiums, including a win in the feature race in Barcelona. Although he does not yet have a super license, he will receive one if he finishes P5 or above in the championship.

Felipe Drugovich

Perhaps the junior driver who has been the unluckiest in fulfilling his dream of competing in F1 is Drugovich, who has three years of experience in F2. He also won the F2 title in 2022, a season he dominated with five wins and a total of 11 podiums.

Unfortunately, due to a lack of available seats, Drugovich has been Aston Martin’s reserve driver since 2023 and has seemingly faded from the spotlight.

Franco Colapinto

Cadillac could also consider signing the highly impressive Colapinto, who made a huge impact despite joining the grid as Logan Sargeant’s mid-season replacement from the Italian GP onwards. Many have already tipped the Argentine for big things in F1, and his two points finishes for Williams so far suggest they are right.

Unfortunately, Williams already has the pairing of Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon secured for the long term. This means Colapinto will be free to join a team in 2026. Why not Cadillac?

Experienced Drivers

Since Cadillac will enter F1 as a new team, they may be hesitant to sign a rookie and instead prefer an experienced driver who can help them settle into the sport.

With several F1 teams already having signed rookies for 2025, Cadillac Racing is unlikely to have trouble finding an experienced driver, as many teams will have parted ways with their current ones at the end of the 2024 season.

Daniel Ricciardo

Among the experienced drivers, eight-time Grand Prix winner Ricciardo is likely to be the favorite. Not only does the Australian possess incredible racecraft (even though he struggled to rediscover his form at RB), but he can also help a new team like Cadillac secure sponsorship deals thanks to his massive global popularity.

Sergio Perez

Similarly, another driver who has massive popularity but has lost his form recently is Perez. With several rumors emerging that Red Bull is likely to replace him at the end of this season, the Mexican could consider signing for a team like Cadillac, where there is likely to be much less pressure as there will be a new team on the grid.

Valtteri Bottas

Cadillac Racing is likely to be spoiled for choice when it comes to experienced drivers, as they could also consider signing 10-time Grand Prix winner Bottas, who will part ways with Sauber at the end of this season.

Although the Finnish driver is considering a return to Mercedes as a reserve driver, he will most likely prefer a full-time F1 seat, even if it means joining another backmarker like Cadillac Racing, which is likely to take time to become competitive.

Kevin Magnussen

Similar to Bottas, another driver who failed to secure an extension with his current team, Haas, is Magnussen. The Danish driver knows what it’s like to compete for Cadillac Racing, having also won a race with them in the IMSA SportsCar Championship (DPi)

Yuki Tsunoda

Last but not least, Cadillac Racing could also consider signing Tsunoda, especially if the Japanese driver doesn’t see a future with Red Bull. One significant advantage for any team signing a driver like Tsunoda is that, while still incredibly young, he also boasts substantial experience, having competed in four full F1 seasons so far.