Major Cadillac figure admits desire to steal away Ferrari star

One-time F1 champion and Cadillac advisor Mario Andretti has admitted that Charles Leclerc has caught his eye as a potential driver for the grid's newest team.

The General Motors-backed team will make their debut in 2026, with the veteran pair of Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas their first driver pairing in the sport.

Both drivers, and team principal Graeme Lowdon, are realistic about Cadillac’s chances next season, with all involved aware they will not be competitive as the team remains in it's development phase.

Cadillac will use Ferrari power units from 2026 while they develop their own engine back in North Carolina, which the team hopes will be ready by the end of the decade.

However, this hasn’t prevented Andretti – who serves on Cadillac’s board of directors – from aiming high when it comes to a future driver lineup.

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Andretti wants Leclerc at Cadillac

Andretti secured his maiden F1 victory with Ferrari at the 1971 South African Grand Prix, and returned to the team in 1982 when Enzo Ferrari called him to replace an injured Didier Pironi.

Speaking at the Festival dello Sport, Andretti revealed that he flew to Italy, had lunch with Enzo and did 87 laps at Fiorano, where he set the track record which lasted for eight years.

The 1982 Italian GP would be Andretti’s last points, pole position and podium in F1, but his passion for Ferrari remains strong all these years later.

At the event, Andretti detailed the drivers on the grid he respected the most, labelling himself as a ‘big fan’ of Leclerc and believing that Ferrari will return to the top again.

"Verstappen is very strong. I like Piastri for his grit, but it seems to me that at McLaren, for some reason – I don't know why – they favor Lando Norris,” Andretti revealed.

“I'm a big fan of Leclerc; if he really wanted to change teams one day, I'd take him to Cadillac straight away. Ferrari is Ferrari, and sooner or later it will come back. Always."

Reports suggest that Leclerc’s management are looking at rival F1 teams, after his manager Nicholas Todt recently demanded a ‘winning car’ for his driver.

Leclerc is reportedly contracted with Ferrari up until 2029, but there could be a performance clause, similar to that of Verstappen’s, if Ferrari do not offer him a title winning car.

When asked if he had lost faith in current Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur, Andretti responded with a damning verdict: “Yes.”

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