Cadillac has opened discussions with "quite a large number" of potential Formula 1 drivers for 2026, with Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas understood to be leading contenders for a seat.
The new entry, co-owned by TWG Global and massive American manufacturer General Motors, is trying to rapidly clear various milestones as it prepares to join the grid next year.
As the Cadillac team only received approval from F1 in March after an extremely long process, it has been restricted in how much progress it could make across recruitment, car design, and negotiations with drivers.
There have been reports that Cadillac is now in advanced talks with ex-Red Bull driver Perez, or has even completed a deal, as well as inaccurate claims that Perez is at the Miami Grand Prix to join a special Cadillac event planned for Saturday night.
Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon told The Race that the group is "opening discussions with a number of drivers, and it's quite a large number of drivers" but there will be no news this weekend.
"It's fascinating actually, every day I read a story that we've signed someone, or we're about to sign someone, or someone's at the top of the list, or whatever," said Lowdon.
"It doesn't exist."
The Race understands the discussions include multiple conversations already with Perez's representatives - which includes a new management team - who are in Miami and meeting with Cadillac stakeholders again even though Perez himself is not.
Perez, who has won six F1 races, was dropped by Red Bull at the end of 2024 after four seasons. He had strong peaks at the team and finished second in the world championship in 2023, completing Red Bull's first one-two finish in the drivers' standings, but suffered as certain car problems became more pronounced and its competitive advantage disappeared.
He is understood to be working hard to be ready for an F1 comeback with the right project, though, and Cadillac would benefit from the 35-year-old's experience and technical feedback.
For the same reasons, Cadillac has also talked with Bottas, another experienced F1 race winner currently on the sidelines who is still in contention for a seat.
The 10-time grand prix winner is a Mercedes reserve driver this season, is keen to get back on the grid, and interested in a Cadillac seat.
Other names understood to be considered are Zhou Guanyu, Mick Schumacher, Colton Herta and Jak Crawford. Lowdon has been careful not to identify specific targets, though.
"We're in a position where a lot of people want to join the team," he said.
"We need to find the right people. We'll hire on merit but merit is not just who could do the fastest lap, it's who provides the right mix of attributes for the team.
"We'll analyse and go in depth. And we've got people within the team who understand what makes drivers tick really, really well. And I've got a wide variety of people I could talk to and get opinions from and whatever.
"So that's really where we're at."
The American driver element
The first iteration of this entry, in the Andretti name and led by Michael Andretti, put a big emphasis on finding an American driver with Andretti’s IndyCar race winner Herta cited as a leading contender. Aston Martin junior and F2 race winner Crawford is now another potential option.
TWG boss Dan Towriss has since kept the door open to an American driver, stating at the Miami Grand Prix: Fuelling the City's Global Spotlight event on Thursday evening, run by Axios in conjunction with The Race: "The goal simply is American team, American power unit, and an American driver.
"But we want to do that the right way. It's not just pluck an American racing in an existing series and say, 'Here's your F1 seat.' That could be a very tough way to enter the sport. So we want to make sure that we do that the right way. And we've got a plan to get that done."
Lowdon shares that perspective and suggested that while an IndyCar driver could make the switch to F1 it might not be the best move for either team or driver right now.
"It's got to be on merit," he said. "It has to be. This is a world championship, you've got to do every single thing you can to win.
"We want the best drivers we can possibly get. If one or two of them are American, then great. The fans would love it. We know that from research.
"But the starting point is we've got to be competitive, and so everyone's on merit.
"What the American fans want is an American driver in an American team, and an American driver that they know.
"So, technically, nothing prevents all of that from happening and for us to be selecting on merit.
"It just reduces the natural chances of something happening like that."
