Cadillac F1 boss insists the workforce will solely signal an American driver on advantage

Cadillac workforce principal Graeme Lowdon has said that the incoming Method 1 squad will choose its first driver line-up on advantage – and that it might nonetheless include an American.

F1 and the FIA formally permitted the entry of Common Motors on Friday that means its Cadillac model will develop into the grid’s eleventh workforce from 2026.

However preparations have lengthy been underneath approach to get the workforce in form for its debut, but no official conversations with potential drivers might happen till the ratification final week.

There are a number of drivers at the moment with out race seats in F1 who’ve been linked to Cadillac, whereas the prospect of the US squad hiring a homegrown racer has additionally been mooted.

“We positively choose on advantage,” stated Lowdon. “Method 1, it isn’t a playground, that is the top of world motorsport.

“I believe when it comes to timing, it is type of a bit bit odd as a result of we’re out of sync with the opposite groups, we weren’t within the driver market in the course of the pretty important final spherical, so sure drivers are tied up for sure intervals.

“Fortunately for us, there are lots of good drivers on the market, sadly, we have not been capable of be within the driver market till the entry was confirmed.

“It is necessary for us to speak to plenty of potential candidates. Can we see very gifted drivers who at the moment aren’t on the grid? Sure, we do.

“We’re going to be fairly busy speaking to some individuals, my cellphone’s actually been busy. What’s a bit bit tough due to the scenario that we’re in as a brand new workforce, the timeline is not as laid out because it usually is. It is usually fairly clear for all of us concerned within the driver negotiations.

“However there are simply half a dozen, if no more candidates on the market who supply extraordinarily good credentials to be in Method 1 or to be in Method 1 once more.”

The likes of Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu misplaced their seats in F1 on the finish of final season and would deliver expertise to the Cadillac undertaking. Zhou specifically, is a reputation of be aware given Lowdon makes up a part of the Ferrari reserve driver’s administration workforce.

“It is a bit bit too early to go an excessive amount of into any element, as a result of it is solely now that we’re capable of have significant conversations,” added Lowdon. “However for certain, we wish to have drivers that may contribute to the general programme.

Zhou Guanyu, Stake F1 Staff Kick Sauber, with Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Staff Kick Sauber

Photograph by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Pictures

“I believe Zhou’s accomplished an exceptionally good job underneath tough circumstances and what makes it really fairly helpful for me is he does not essentially want to elucidate the background of his skills as a result of I’ve had a entrance row seat to see all that, in order that’s a profit.

“There’s the proper checks and balances in place, so there is not any favouritism in any explicit route in direction of him or some other driver that we could have involvement with on the grid.

“We’re there to do a job, so we’ll choose drivers on advantage. There are some actually good ones on the market, Zhou included.”

Whereas loads of names have been bandied round, the thought of recruiting an American driver is one that won’t go away. Regardless of a dearth of US F1 drivers in current instances, Lowdon didn’t rule out signing one for the 2026 season.

“The apparent query is whether or not we’ll have American drivers and personally, I see no purpose why an American driver cannot be chosen on advantage as effectively,” he stated.

“It is actually one thing that the followers want to see, and I see no purpose why that may’t occur. However the overriding goal is advantage. We have a job to do right here.

“I do not see any explicit downside. I do not envisage any explicit downside on that entrance and as I stated earlier than, driver choice will certainly be on advantage.

“What I am making an attempt to emphasize is simply because somebody’s American does not imply that they can not be Method 1 driver.”

Colton Herta, Andretti International w/ Curb-Agajanian Honda

Photograph by: Geoffrey M. Miller / Motorsport Pictures

One such driver linked with a seat is IndyCar’s Colton Herta at Andretti International, which has been concerned with the Common Motors F1 entry.

However the issue for the 24-year-old is that he at the moment doesn’t have sufficient factors on his superlicence to compete in F1.

“With regard to Colton, so he does not have the required variety of superlicence factors and if that have been to stay the case, then that is clearly an obstacle for him,” stated Lowdon.

“We won’t select a driver that does not have the factors, that’s simply the true world that we stay in and we simply need to take that into consideration.

“Does his lack of reaching or the shortage of being on the threshold for the superlicence in any manner have an effect on his potential to drive a race automobile? No.

“He is extremely gifted, so it isn’t shock information that we might be trying to Colton alongside a complete bunch of different drivers as effectively.

“He is not the one one really in that scenario and he will not be the primary, he will not be the final driver the place there’s some uncertainty as a result of superlicence factors, however we simply need to stay with that. That is a regulation. We simply need to respect it.”