F1 team boss doubles down on hopes for American driver in 2026

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F1 News & Gossip

F1 team boss doubles down on hopes for American driver in 2026

Cadillac will become the 11th team on the grid from next season

By Kevin McKenna.

Thursday 17 April 2025 19:00

Cadillac's team principal has been quizzed on the team's plans for their driver lineup when they enter Formula 1 in 2026.

The General Motors-backed team will become the 11th team on the F1 grid when they arrive next year, and are yet to confirm either of their drivers.

It has been strongly suggested that one of the vacant driver spots will be taken by IndyCar star Colton Herta, but the remaining seat is still up for grabs.

And in an interview with Autosport.com, team principal Graeme Lowdon has revealed how their driver lineup will ultimately be decided.

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"We'll select drivers on merit," he said. "Having a driver on merit doesn't mean you can't have an American passport as well. We've got a lot to choose from."

Cadillac targeting experienced F1 star

American Logan Sargeant suffered the same fate as his Australian counterpart, having been replaced by Franco Colapinto at Williams in the final months of last season, and he would be a popular choice with American fans.

"You can't just judge an F1 team on what they're doing this year or next year," Lowden continued. "The team's here to stay. I think the fans would love to see an American driver in an American team.

"There's nothing stopping that from happening, but we've just got to go ahead and select on merit and build a team, because there are a few very experienced drivers available.

"We weren't able to participate in the last round of driver negotiations, so we're out of sync with a lot of other teams. But there's some advantages to that as well. There's a lot of very good drivers available at the minute. As and when we put the driver lineup together, whatever it is, it'll be a strong one."

Cadillac will be joined by Audi on the grid next season, with the German manufacturer having already confirmed their driver pairing as Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto.

Formula 1 IndyCar Cadillac Colton Herta General Motors Graeme Lowdon