Ranking Cadillac’s best five driver options for 2026

Cadillac’s F1 debut is fast approaching, as the American giant becomes the 11th team on the grid for 2026.

However, they’ve yet to decide on their driver line-up for next year. According to F1 writer Lawrence Barretto, Cadillac are still weighing up a number of options.

After initial talks with the team, Sergio Perez is widely regarded as the heavy favourite to take one of the seats. Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu, and Mick Schumacher are also in the frame.

Cadillac could also turn to a number of IndyCar drivers, such as Colton Herta and Pato O’Ward. 

But who should they sign? These are our best-ranked suggestions.

5. Mick Schumacher

Schumacher is another name in contention for a Cadillac seat in 2026. Despite not being on the F1 grid since the end of 2022, Schumacher has kept himself sharp.

He’s been Mercedes’ test and reserve driver, and currently competes in the World Endurance Championship with Alpine. His two years with Haas in F1 were ultimately mixed.

While there were flashes of potential, he struggled with consistency and rarely showed outstanding raw pace. His run of high-profile incidents in 2022 cost him his seat to Nico Hulkenberg at Haas.

However, Schumacher is still young and has had time to reset outside of F1. From a marketing perspective, the Schumacher name still carries significant weight, especially in America.

4. Colton Herta

Herta has been constantly linked with Cadillac since Andretti announced their push to be on the F1 grid. An American team will likely want an American driver, making Herta the obvious choice.

He finished second in the 2024 IndyCar standings, just 31 points behind eventual champion Alex Palou. Herta was close to joining the grid with AlphaTauri in 2023 but missed out due to not having enough super licence points.

He currently has 31 super licence points - nine short of the required 40. Herta would need to finish fourth in this year’s IndyCar standings (he’s currently ninth) to qualify.

F1 hasn’t had an American driver on the grid since Alexander Rossi in 2015.

3. Pato O’Ward

One of the wildcard options for Cadillac is Pato O’Ward. O’Ward has been a front-runner in IndyCar - America’s leading single-seater series - for the past six years.

Part of the McLaren stable, O’Ward has tested F1 machinery on several occasions since 2021. He is set to make another appearance for McLaren in FP1 at the Mexico City Grand Prix later this year.

Having F1 experience is a bonus, and it will give him another chance to impress Cadillac’s management - if they’re still undecided on their line-up. O’Ward would have to weigh up whether he wants to trade racing at the sharp end of IndyCar for running at the back in F1.

However, seeing a top IndyCar driver in F1 would be an exciting prospect.

2. Valtteri Bottas

Another strong option for Cadillac in 2026 is Bottas. Having failed to land the second Sauber seat, Bottas is spending this year as Mercedes’ test and reserve driver.

He has expressed his desire to return to the grid and still believes he has the pace to compete in F1. In terms of outright speed, Bottas is arguably the standout option.

He qualified ninth in his final race for Sauber in Abu Dhabi, showing there can be no question marks around his pace. However, the race summed up Bottas in many ways - with clumsy racecraft on the opening lap putting both him and Perez out.

While Bottas is simply quicker than Perez, the latter’s wheel-to-wheel ability may prove more decisive in a close midfield battle. Perez is also a bigger commercial draw than Bottas.

Of course, Cadillac could sign both drivers and field an all-star midfield pairing.

1. Sergio Perez

It’s no surprise that Perez is the leading contender for one of the Cadillac seats in 2026. There’s no doubt that Perez’s reputation was slightly tarnished by his disappointing final season at Red Bull.

He looked devoid of confidence and ready to take a break from F1. Yet, not being on the grid has arguably seen his stock rise, given the struggles of Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda alongside Max Verstappen in 2025.

Lawson and Tsunoda’s difficulties have lent credibility to Perez’s complaints about the handling of the Red Bull. While Perez may not be the fastest driver available to Cadillac, he ticks a number of important boxes.

Commercially, Perez is a huge asset to any team - just ask Red Bull. He is backed by billionaire Carlos Slim, and his superstar status in Mexico is undeniable.

On track, Perez developed a reputation as F1’s “king of the midfield.” With Cadillac likely to be towards the back of the grid, Perez’s midfield prowess is a big plus.

Finally, Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly have shown it’s possible to rebuild a career after being dropped by Red Bull - so why not Perez?