Cadillac provide update on F1 driver search for 2026: “Advancing discussions”

Cadillac have offered an update on their plans for the 2026 F1 driver lineup, but no drivers have yet been signed.

The American car brand are joining the F1 grid in 2026 as the 11th team.

Originally, Andretti wanted to join the grid, but due to significant pushback from the existing teams and stakeholders, the entry was rebranded as Cadillac.

Cadillac will run Ferrari engines from 2026 but will have their works power unit by the end of the decade.

Team principal Graeme Lowdon has yet to sign any drivers to form Cadillac’s first driver line-up.

Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez, Mick Schumacher and Felipe Drugovich have all been linked with Cadillac in recent months.

A report by Autosport claimed that Bottas was the heavy favourite to take one of the seats.

The Finn has been off the grid since the end of last year after failing to land a full-time drive.

Perez is also in the frame, should Cadillac want two experienced drivers.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, Lowdon addressed the topic of drivers.

“The good thing is we know a lot of the drivers who are out there,” he said.

“Both the younger guys who have been coming up through Formula 2 and also the more established drivers who have a lot of Formula 1 experience. We talk to these people all of the time and we try and spend time in the paddock as well.

“The main focus up to now has been building the car. I think if we reach Melbourne and there was no car for a driver to drive, then nobody would thank us at all.

“But that said, we are advancing discussions with a number of drivers. We won’t be announcing anything at Silverstone as such. But, I would say, watch this space.”

Cadillac address Bottas’ social media post

Bottas teased that he could be driving for Cadillac by posting an amusing post on social media.

In the video, which featured a Cadillac road car, Bottas was asked: “There’s two seats, do you want to sit in it?”

Bottas replied: “Not yet”.

“I saw that post - well, it shows he’s bought a Cadillac,” Lowdon added.

“But in terms of selecting the drivers, there’s a real mix of skills and we’re very lucky at the minute. We’re out of synchronisation with the other teams at present, we’ve got a little bit of time and we can spend that time making sure that when we do announce the driver line-up, it’ll be the right one.

“We hope that the fans will be excited by it as well, and hopefully excited by the fact that there’s a new team on the grid that they can follow.”