Cadillac F1 team confirms no drivers signed ahead of Miami Grand Prix launch event
Ahead of the Cadillac Formula 1 Team's launch event on Saturday at the Miami Grand Prix, team principal Graeme Lowdon confirmed to The Athletic that the team has not signed any drivers as of Friday, and that no driver announcement will come this weekend.
His comments come in the wake of rumors that former Red Bull driver Sergio Pérez has already signed with the team. The Mexican driver, who lost his seat at Red Bull at the end of the 2024 season, told formula1.com in early April that he has given himself 'at least six months to get all my options on the table.'
Advertisement
'The reality is that we've got lots of parallel tracks that all need to come together for the first race in '26, and yes, of course, selecting the drivers is part of that,' Lowdon said on Friday, 'but we're in kind of in an interesting situation, timing wise, because we're out with synchronization with the other teams.'
Lowdon made similar comments in a media session in March, just days after the FIA and F1 approved General Motors and TWG Motorsports' application for Cadillac to join the grid in 2026 as the sport's 11th team. Cadillac hadn't been able to be involved in the driver market until it received that confirmation, Lowdon said then. But that left Cadillac in a tricky position because 'certain drivers are tied up for certain periods,' Lowdon said.
While the 2026 drivers' market isn't set in stone, two seats are up for grabs at Cadillac, which could allow veterans like Pérez a way back onto the grid or bring in fresh talent with Jak Crawford or Colton Herta.
'We haven't got drivers sat there saying, 'Well, I might go to this team,'' Lowdon said Friday in Miami. 'Every seat's full, and we've got two, and it turns out everybody wants to drive a Cadillac. That's the one thing that I have learned. And so my phone has become very busy.
'And so to some extent, we're looking at everything we need to do. One of the key things we need to do is build the car for the driver to actually race.'
While drivers are part of the equation to get Cadillac up and running for its 2026 debut, 'we kind of have a timeline for everything, and the driver announcement is not happening this weekend.'
Lowdon did admit that Cadillac does have the flexibility to get to know the potential drivers a bit more, gaining a better understanding of their commitment and motivation.
He added, 'We want to hire drivers on merit, but we assess them on lots and lots and lots of different things, and we're in a good position where we can take our time a little bit to do that.'
The team principal said there were six to 10 drivers on Cadillac's radar who would be 'very good additions to the team,' but he didn't list names.
Top photo of Sergio Pérez:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Cadillac's 2026 F1 Debut Draws Interest from Mercedes Reserve Driver
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. With the Cadillac Formula One team entering the grid in 2026, Mercedes reserve driver Valtteri Bottas has shown considerable interest in one of the two seats. He also confirmed that Cadillac has a few drivers on the list, and believes he is one of the best options for the new American outfit. Bottas ended his stint with the Sauber F1 team last year after a management restructuring that saw Mattia Binotto take the throne as the team's CEO and CTO. The team's driver lineup was replaced entirely by Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto ahead of Audi's full takeover in 2026. Zhou Guanyu became a Ferrari reserve driver, while Bottas rejoined the team he once experienced huge success with in the past alongside Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes. Despite a lackluster season with Sauber last year, Bottas confirmed that he isn't done with F1 just yet. Oscar Piastri of Australia driving the (81) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes leads Lando Norris of Great Britain driving the (4) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB21... Oscar Piastri of Australia driving the (81) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes leads Lando Norris of Great Britain driving the (4) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB21 George Russell of Great Britain driving the (63) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W16 Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Scuderia Ferrari SF-25 Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving the (16) Scuderia Ferrari SF-25 and the rest of the field at the start during the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on June 01, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain. MoreSpeaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, Bottas revealed Cadillac's main priority at present. He said: "I don't think they're in a massive rush, they've been very, very busy trying to get a car on the grid for next year." Bottas then revealed why he is an ideal candidate for Cadillac and opened up on the timeline for deciding about the 2026 season. He added: "I think they have a few drivers on the list. I would imagine my experience will help because now I've raced in three different teams, with one of the teams having mega success. With Williams as well, we had some great results, so I hope I'm in a good position. "I know my timeline, when I want to know about next year and what plans I need to make, which I think is more or less August, which is a pretty good target for that, and hopefully, we'll hear something more soon. "For me, I actually see a very interesting project, something new to F1, an American team with maybe a different view to the sport. "If I were there as a driver, it would be very interesting because you can start from scratch. "The team starts from zero. You could actually make a big influence on certain things, which direction to go, and that would be very motivating and rewarding when the success comes. "I think the rule change is always a good point to jump in because you just never know, if you suddenly get it right, you might actually be doing really well from the get-go." Newsweek Sports reported comments from Cadillac F1 team principal Graeme Lowdon in April, who confirmed that the team was in talks with a few drivers but discussions hadn't reached an advanced stage yet. He said: "We are either planning or have spoken to you know probably seven or eight drivers all together. It would be no surprise that anybody who has got recent Formula 1 experience would be included in that list but I would stress that at the moment, any discussions are very preliminary. "They are just really trying to get to know what people's interest levels are, what their motivations are. We're certainly not in advanced discussions with any driver."
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Over 41,000 Cadillac vehicles recalled. See impacted models.
Over 41,000 Cadillac vehicles recalled. See impacted models. Show Caption Hide Caption Car recalls: Why they happen and what buyers should know Why do car recalls happen? Here's what to know if your car has an open recall. General Motors is recalling tens of thousands of Cadillac vehicles due to a video display issue that could increase the risk of crash, according to a notice posted this week by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Detroit-based automaker reported to the NHTSA late last month that the video display on some Lyriq models may fail, resulting in a blank screen and a subsequent loss of view of the speedometer, warning lights and rearview camera, thus increasing the risk of a crash. As of May 29, when GM reported the recall to the NHTSA, the automaker had not reported any deaths or injuries in connection to the issue. Here's what to know about the recall, including which years are affected and how to remedy the issue. Which years and models are affected? The recall affects 41,376 vehicles in the following models: 2023 Cadillac Lyriq 2024 Cadillac Lyriq What should I do if my Cadillac is recalled? The video display control module software can be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge, the NHTSA recall notice said. Notification letters are expected to be mailed to owners by July 14. Cadillac Lyric recall number: Owners can contact Cadillac at 1-800-333-4223. The number for this recall is N252500680. Owners may also contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Chelsea face Olivier Giroud reunion at Club World Cup after Los Angeles FC win dramatic play-off
Celebration: Olivier Giroud and his Los Angeles FC team-mates react after sealing qualification for the Club World Cup (Getty Images) Olivier Giroud played a key role for Los Angeles FC to set up an opening reunion with Chelsea at the forthcoming FIFA Club World Cup. Major League Soccer (MLS) side LAFC came out on top in a tense qualifying play-off against Mexican giants Club America on home soil at the BMO Stadium on Saturday night. Advertisement Gabon winger Denis Bouanga netted a dramatic 115th-minute winner for Steve Cherundolo's side in extra time after Brian Rodriguez's penalty had earlier been cancelled out by a late equaliser from Igor Jesus in normal time. Giroud provided the assist for Bouanga's crucial goal after a stylish passage of play also involving Frankie Amaya, helping to ensure that he would face former club Chelsea at the Club World Cup. LAFC's victory means they will go into Group D at the inaugural expanded 32-team summer Club World Cup being played in the United States this month, with their opening game to come against Conference League winners Chelsea at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on June 16. They will then travel to Geodis Park in Nashville to meet Tunisian club Esperance de Tunis on June 20, before concluding their group campaign against Brazilian outfit Flamengo at Orlando's Camping World Stadium on June 24. Advertisement The winners of Group D will contest a last-16 tie against the runners-up from a Group C containing Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors and Benfica in Miami on June 29, while the winners of Group C will face the runners-up from Group D in Charlotte a day earlier. FIFA ordered a one-off qualifying play-off tie between LAFC and Club America after Mexican side Club Leon, following a complaint registered by Costa Rican club Deportiva Alajuelense, were removed from the Club World Cup in March, having failed to meet competition rules on multi-club ownership. Club Leon and domestic rivals Pachuca are both owned by Grupo Pachuca. FIFA's decision to remove Club Leon was upheld at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) last month. Pachuca remain in the competition, placed in Group H alongside Real Madrid - who beat them 3-0 in last year's Intercontinental Cup final in Qatar - as well as Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal and Red Bull Salzburg of Austria. Advertisement Giroud, 38, played 114 games across all competitions for Chelsea between 2018-21 after joining from London rivals Arsenal, scoring 39 goals and winning the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup before leaving for AC Milan. France's all-time leading scorer is currently one of LAFC's designated players after joining last year, scoring four times in 32 outings so far. LAFC's current squad also includes former Tottenham captain and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, ex-Leicester forward Cengiz Under and Celtic loanee Odin Thiago Holm.
