Last month, The Race reported that Mick Schumacher was on the verge of joining Cadillac in a dual role: reserve driver for its Formula 1 team while also racing in the World Endurance Championship with Cadillac Team Jota.
On paper, it looked like the perfect match. Yet the deal collapsed, and Schumacher will not represent the American manufacturer after all - nor is he expected to extend his current deal with Alpine.
Here's why - and where McLaren fits into the picture:
Why Schumacher said no to Cadillac
Cadillac's proposal was attractive: a return to the F1 paddock, a place that continues to obsess 43-time grand prix starter Schumacher, combined with a seat in one of the WEC top teams, and with a salary significantly higher than his current package.
However, the contract he was offered ultimately failed to convince him. It's unclear whether the sticking point lay on the F1 or the WEC side, but what's certain is that Schumacher would have enjoyed far less freedom with Cadillac Team Jota than he does now.
At Alpine, he has a privileged role: he gets most of the new tyres in free practice and has handled every qualifying session since the beginning of the 2025 season.
Cadillac, by contrast, enforces strict equality across its driver contracts: same terms, same pay, regardless of reputation. Even Jenson Button's F1 world championship title did not grant him any special privileges.
What next for Schumacher?
With the Cadillac option gone, Schumacher's obsession remains on F1. The only realistic remaining vacant seat is at Alpine, which has Pierre Gasly under contract for 2026 but has said nothing about his potential team-mate. However, Schumacher does not appear to feature in the French outfit's plans.
Staying with the Alpine endurance team is not entirely impossible, but looks unlikely as well, even though Alpine Motorsport vice president Bruno Famin will do everything he can to keep him, as he considers him to be an essential part of his project.
IndyCar has also crossed Schumacher's mind, but nothing tangible has emerged. And while his passion for single-seaters is understandable, walking away now from what has been an impressive start to his endurance career would be a pity.
The Porsche 956 is one of the most successful sportscars of all time, and thanks to REC Watches a unique timepiece now tells one of the car's greatest stories.
Order your Porsche 956 timepiece - made from the 1984 Porsche 956-106B - at https://www.recwatches.com/956-106b/ and get 10% off using coupon code "THERACE".
For better or worse, Schumacher's future seems destined to remain in sportscar racing. And according to The Race's sources, the 2020 Formula 2 champion is in positive talks with McLaren, which is set to enter the WEC in 2027 after a development year in 2026.
Linking up with a manufacturer that's arriving in endurance racing with serious ambition - while also being the absolute benchmark team in F1 - could prove an ideal long-term project.
Cadillac forced back to the market
Schumacher's U-turn has left Jota scrambling for alternatives.
The team must find a replacement for Jenson Button, just as it believed its 2026 line-up was settled. With nine manufacturers competing in Hypercar next season, options are limited.
Candidates include Cadillac's IMSA SportsCar Championship drivers Jack Aitken and Felipe Drugovich, the latter also having chased a Cadillac F1 seat.
Antonio Felix da Costa was another name in the frame. As reported by The Race, he is set to leave Porsche and knows Jota well, having won the WEC and the Le Mans 24 Hours in LMP2 with the team in 2022. However, The Race can confirm that he is no longer available.
That leaves Callum Ilott as the current favourite, and The Race understands that talks between Cadillac and the ex-Ferrari test driver have taken place recently.
After racing for Team Jota in 2024, he switched back to IndyCar with Prema. But with Prema's US project now in jeopardy, the 26-year-old Briton is considering a return to Europe.
Quick if not always consistent, he enjoys the backing of Sam Hignett, Jota's co-owner, which could tip the balance in his favour.
