Cadillac F1 boss reveals driver attitude pushing him away from major signing

Cadillac F1 team principal Graeme Lowdon has revealed the attitude that is putting him off signing a major name to the team in 2026.

The decision to allow an 11th team to join the grid next season has opened up two highly coveted seats on the grid; and provides an opportunity for axed drivers to make a comeback.

Huge names have been linked to a return with Cadillac, from Sergio Perez to Valtteri Bottas, with Lowdon also confirming talks with Mick Schumacher during an appearance on the High Performance Podcast.

Podcast host Jake Humphrey then suggested there was, ‘a sense of unfinished business’ in F1 for both Mick Schumacher and Valtteri Bottas, although Lowdon stated that wouldn't factor into his decision on the line-up, even admitting he was put off by a driver trying to ‘prove a personal point’.

"Yeah, I think they're both, you know, they’ve both proved a whole bunch of things. Everyone wants to prove something else again. I never look at that as the biggest motivator," Lowdon said.

"Our team is not there as a vehicle for someone to prove a point. Our team is there to provide a position on the pitch if you like for someone to prove what they can do for sure, but it's not the vehicle to kind of show the world, prove a point or whatever.

"The driver is there to do the best that they possibly can for their team and they should be motivated for the team around them as well. So, yeah, I'm less keen on people who kind of want to prove a personal point."

He later admitted the list of candidates was long, saying: "Every name you’re going to read out I’m going to say yes to because everyone wants the drive."

Who is Cadillac F1 team principal Graeme Lowdon?

Lowdon has spent the past two years as an advisor to the Cadillac project, but started his F1 career with Virgin Racing back in 2010.

The 60-year-old was the president and sporting director of the team, before leaving the then-named Marussia in 2015.

Lowdon also helped to launch and manage Zhou Guanyu’s F1 career, but the new Cadillac team principal has assured there will be no conflict of interest when it comes to choosing their 2026 driver lineup.

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