Six months out from the much-anticipated debut of Cadillac in Formula 1, team boss Graeme Lowdon is keeping one key seat unfilled: the reserve driver role.
Cadillac’s countdown to its long-awaited F1 debut is gathering pace, but there’s still one seat at the table with a question mark for 2026.
The General Motors-backed squad already boasts one of the most experienced line-ups in recent F1 history.
Between Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac has secured a duo with more than 500 Grands Prix starts and over 100 podiums to their names.
Both drivers, who have spent the entire 2025 campaign on the sidelines in contrasting ways, have been tasked with anchoring the team’s ambitious entry.
Colton Herta has also joined as a test driver, stepping away from a full-time race seat in IndyCar to pursue his F1 dream, but Cadillac’s roster is not yet complete.
“We haven’t started looking, we’ve made no offers to anybody, for any reserve position with the team,” Lowdon told F1.com.
“But that is now the position that we’ll turn our attention to, and it helps complete the line-up.”
Cadillac drivers chosen on merit
Speculation has swirled that Cadillac, as an American outfit, might prioritise an American for the reserve slot. Lowdon, however, insists nationality will not dictate the decision.
“We’ll select drivers on merit. Having a driver on merit doesn’t mean you can’t have an American passport as well,” he explained.
For US fans, the possibility of seeing a homegrown driver remains alive, but it will not be guaranteed. Ferrari, Cadillac’s initial power unit supplier, may also have a say in who joins the line-up.
“You can’t just judge an F1 team on what they’re doing this year or next year,” Lowdon continued.
“The team’s here to stay. I think the fans would love to see an American driver in an American team.”
A question of timing for Cadillac
Unlike many rivals, Cadillac sat out the 2025 driver market, which saw significant movement across the grid.
While that meant missing out on some high-profile signings, Lowdon believes the timing could work in favour of Cadillac.
“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.”
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