Graeme Lowdon, who will lead the new Cadillac F1 team, has stated unequivocally that any driver selected for their debut season in 2026 will be chosen based purely on merit. His comments come as the team narrows down its list of potential candidates.
Set to join the Formula 1 grid as the 11th team, the General Motors-backed entry is still in the process of finalizing its driver lineup ahead of their 2026 debut.
Lowdon revealed that Cadillac already has “a fairly good idea” of who they are looking to sign.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Lowdon explained, “We`ve narrowed it down considerably. However, we are currently out of sync with the other teams.” He added, “We were effectively excluded from the recent driver discussions since we didn`t have an official entry yet, which puts us in a slightly unique situation. On the positive side, this means there`s less competitive pressure, allowing us to take a bit more time.”
Lowdon emphasized that the team`s top priority is developing a competitive car for the drivers, stating, “Quite clearly, our absolute priority as a team is to have a car for the drivers to race, and that`s where much of our management`s focus is directed.”
Sergio Perez is considered a potential candidate for a seat, especially after leaving Red Bull at the end of the previous season and taking a break this year. Similarly, Valtteri Bottas, currently a reserve driver for Mercedes following his departure from Sauber, is another possibility. Both Perez and Bottas could bring valuable experience to a new team like Cadillac.
Considering that boosting F1`s popularity in the US was a significant reason for the team`s acceptance into the sport, it`s widely anticipated that Cadillac will sign at least one American driver for their first season.
IndyCar driver Colton Herta, who was linked to F1 three years ago, seems like the most logical American candidate for Cadillac. Despite this, Lowdon underlined that nationality would not be the deciding factor in driver selection.
“I believe everyone would be thrilled to eventually see an American driver in an American team with an American engine,” Lowdon commented.
“However,” he added, “this is a world championship, and we must select everyone based on merit. As we`ve stated before, there`s no reason why a driver with an American passport couldn`t race for an American Formula 1 team.”
“Our selection will be based solely on merit,” he confirmed. “If the chosen driver happens to be American, I think fans would be very pleased. But this is a world championship that demands respect, and our goal is to be as competitive as possible. Therefore, everyone on the team is selected purely on merit.”
Is Cadillac Facing a Race Against Time for 2026 Readiness?
The Cadillac entry is a joint venture between automotive giant General Motors and US firm TWG Global. Dan Towriss, CEO of TWG Motorsport, described the task of being ready for the 2026 season, starting with pre-season testing in late January, as a “challenge.”
Lowdon commented that calling it a “race against time sounds dramatic,” despite the team also constructing a new US manufacturing facility in Indiana, which means some development work must occur elsewhere for now.
Lowdon stated, “As everyone is aware, they will be tuning in to the first Grand Prix next year, and we absolutely must be there. We cannot simply arrive a week late and race behind everyone else.”
“Therefore, we have a firm deadline,” he continued. “I`m aware that teams have countdown clocks on TV monitors in every garage showing when the session begins, and we now have those in every room across our various factories, counting down to the inaugural Grand Prix of 2026.”
“The clock shows the remaining days as a reminder that time seems to speed up when you`re facing a fixed deadline,” he concluded. “It serves as a constant reminder, which is positive. We are actively involved; while we`re not racing on the track yet, we are certainly racing in the factory.”
Marcus Prine