by Kiera Rockley, Alex Johnston and Topher Smith
With confirmation that the grid will feature an 11th team starting in 2026 in the shape of a General Motors Cadillac entry, attention is turning to which drivers might join this new lineup.
Kiera
Past F1 drivers such as Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas could be prime candidates for the team, offering expertise and helping to lead the team through its initial years.
📸 Is a return to F1 on the cards for Ricciardo?
Meanwhile, Andretti's IndyCar connections might lead to the inclusion of stars such as Colton Herta. I believe he has both the skill and profile to make an impact in F1 and what a way it would be to make his entrance.
The involvement of Cadillac brings me to believe that the involvement of an American driver is likely, which also nicely aligns with the sports rapid growth in popularity in the states. The team is also likely to attract staff and engineers from established teams, complimented by experts from other top-tier motorsports categories. This new entry has the potential to reshape the competitive landscape and is guaranteed to bring exciting new story lines to Formula One.
📸 Could Herta fill a role, given he is already an Andretti driver?
Alex
Big name teams require a big name driver, and for that reason I’m going to choose reigning IndyCar Series champion, Alex Palou. The Spaniard has won three of the last four IndyCar title and proved he has the potential to fill a seat at motorsport’s top table.
📸 Three out of four of the last IndyCar titles belong to Palou.
Next to him, it’s one of two sensible options; Valtteri Bottas or Sergio Perez. Both are vastly experienced, both are race winners and both - on their day - were once capable of beating world champion teammates. While they may be shadows of their former selves on current form, Cadillac choosing drivers with an understanding of tyres, brakes and car performance in Formula 1 would be astute, sensible and wise.
📸 Which one would you choose?
Topher
Colton Herta has long been talked about regarding entering F1, previously with AlphaTauri before superlicence issues got in the way and more recently as a candidate for Cadillac. Anyone who watches him in IndyCar knows the hype is real with the American and I can see him being a fine grand prix driver.
📸 Herta would be a popular choice, and one that may help grow the American market further.
As for his teammate, Jake Dennis has proven himself to be both successful and versatile in the world of motor racing, winning the Formula E title as well as winning races in GT cars. The Brit has been a development driver for the Red Bull F1 team since 2018 and has experience of F1 machinery, so to me would be a logical choice to enter the sport full-time with Cadillac.
📸 Another driver already on Andretti’s roster, Jake Dennis. Dennis drove Verstappen’s car at last season’s FP1 session in Abu Dhabi.
📸 Image credits: Formula Motorsport Limited, Sky Sports, Andretti Autosport, NTT IndyCar Series, Jake Dennis.
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