NASCAR star linked with Red Bull touted for stunning F1 switch

There has never been a better time to be a Formula 1 fan in the United States of America.

Not only are there three different grands prix that now take place in the country in Miami, Austin and Las Vegas, there is also set to be an American team on the grid from 2026 onwards, when Cadillac officially join the sport.

One thing that is still lacking, however, is an American F1 driver. Logan Sargeant was the last driver hailing from the States to drive in the sport, but lost his seat halfway through the 2024 season.

One name from the world of NASCAR, however, should be considered to fill the void long-term, specifically at Cadillac, according to former IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe.

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Cadillac 'should consider' move for NASCAR star

Cadillac are yet to confirm either of their two drivers for the 2026 season, and now, Hinchcliffe has suggested that they should consider a move for rising NASCAR star Connor Zilisch, albeit for the future and not next season.

Zilisch - who is a Red Bull athlete and sponsored by the brand - has shown incredible skill on both road courses and ovals so far in the Xfinity Series, and has been tipped for a huge future in the Cup Series.

Hinchcliffe believes that the young star is the one of the 'most adaptable' drivers he has ever seen, and at 19, he has time to swap stock cars for open wheel racing.

In a column on the official F1 website in which he discussed five US-based drivers Cadillac should consider hiring, Hinchcliffe wrote: "Zilisch had a promising road racing career going, winning in everything from Trans-Am cars to prototypes to stock cars. Without the financial freedom to simply choose the route he wanted to go, opportunities came up in stock cars before anyone in the open wheel world took notice – and that is our loss.

"Competing full-time in the Xfinity Championship [Series] in 2025, he already has three wins in the season, including his first oval victory.

"Given his road racing background, it is incredibly impressive that he is now competitive on the types of track that a lot of the drivers he’s racing against trained on exclusively on their rise to this level. And that’s really my point on Zilisch – he seems to be one of the most adaptable drivers that I’ve ever seen.

"Watching what he’s done so far gives me the feeling that if he was given a proper programme in an open wheel car, and a season or two of F2 to cut his teeth, he could be F1-worthy in short order.

"And he has the time, because despite the impressive CV he is still only 19 years old."

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