Cadillac will become the eleventh Formula 1 team in 2026, a project that has been in the works for years, that at one point would bear the name of Andretti, with a chassis by General-Motors (owners of Cadillac) and engine by Ferrari, with a multi-year agreement. The North American company wants to benefit from and further contribute to the increasing popularity of Formula 1 in the US, and thus are looking to pair an American driver with an experienced F1 veteran. And the chosen one, according to team advisor Mario Andretti, reported by Motorsport, is Colton Herta.
Herta, born in Santa Clarita, California, is the youngest driver ever to win IndyCar, when he was 18 in 2019. IndyCar is the highest class of American open-wheel car racing in the United States. In 2024, racing for Andretti Global, he was runner-up of the driver's championship for IndyCar series, behind Spaniard Álex Palou.
"Some mistakes were made last year that cost him a championship, and unfortunately that happens" Andretti told. "Sometimes you put too much pressure on yourself and then you make that mistake. But when you look at the ingredients that were there, you had the ingredients of a champion".
He started his career in Formula 3, with the likes of Lando Norris, and recently was eyed by various Formula 1 teams, including Red Bull for AlphaTauri (currently Racing Bulls). According to Mario Andretti, the more recent American to win F1 World Driver's Championship - in 1978 - Herta is "a good bet" for the driver line up
However, the process is not closed yet, although Andretti promises news "probably mid-year". "It's clear that the objectives are to have at least one American driver and then another experienced driver alongside, and start like that".