Cadillac F1 will announce its drivers for 2026 once its entry, still provisional, is definitively validated.
This was confirmed by Mario Andretti, as speculation began to mount during the winter about the two new seats that will be allocated.
Colton Herta is the favorite, he does not deny it, even if the latter was very cautious and even pessimistic a few days ago.
Others clearly position themselves as available, like Valtteri Bottas, Guanyu Zhou or even Mick Schumacher.
“Many pilots are being considered,” said Mario Andretti, consultant for the American team.
“As I said in December, we are keeping all options open. We must first definitively validate our entry, that is the priority.”
Does he have a preference, however?
“I think the goal from the beginning is to have at least one American driver. And it makes perfect sense to put an experienced driver alongside an American driver.”
“It will probably be Colton Herta, but you have to keep your options open.”
“You never know what’s going to happen when the final decision is made. Suddenly someone you never thought of is available.”
“You have to think positively. You have to think big.”
Former F1 driver Jacques Villeneuve believed that “For a team like this, Carlos Sainz is exactly the right guy because he knows how to help teams build.”
“That’s why Williams took him, and I’m not sure they would be willing to let him go for 2026. But maybe he has an exit clause, in case the project is not as good than the one he thought he was joining.”
Villeneuve believes that Cadillac probably “I’ve already been inundated with calls from managers and drivers. They’ll all say, ‘I’m the perfect person to help you build your team.’
“It won’t be easy for them to have a big name because a driver with the necessary experience in a top team would not be happy to just participate in building a team.
“It’s not a first-choice destination for any of the top drivers.”
