American Formula 2 driver Jak Crawford has confirmed that he’s one of several drivers to be in talks with the incoming Cadillac F1 team.

According to Crawford, his chances will depend heavily on his performance in the junior ladder category this season.

Jak Crawford confirms ‘talks’ with Cadillac F1

Twenty-year-old Formula 2 driver Jak Crawford has confirmed that he is one of several drivers in talks with the incoming Cadillac F1 team ahead of the 2026 season.

Cadillac first expressed interest in joining Formula 1 in the guise of Andretti Global, a team helmed by Mario Andretti’s son Michael. Andretti Global has an international presence in series like IndyCar and Formula E, and it was hoping to finagle a Formula 1 team as well.

That ultimately failed to transpire; Andretti stepped down from team ownership and handed the reigns to Group1001 owner Dan Towriss. At this point, Cadillac also stepped in for a greater role in the team.

During the Andretti phase of the team’s F1 goals, team personnel made one thing abundantly clear: They wanted an American in Formula 1.

More on Cadillac F1:

👉 Cadillac F1: Everything you need to know about the new 11th team

👉 Cadillac F1 signs first major sponsor with deep Formula 1 ties

That hard-line stance has begun to evaporate as the team takes on a more international flair, and as many of the team’s major contenders look unlikely to secure the points required for a super license.

But it appears that there’s still one driver in contention for a seat: Jak Crawford.

Crawford is a current Formula 2 driver racing with DAMS, and he’s sitting third in the championship standings with three wins to his name — nine points adrift of leader Leonardo Fornaroli. It’s enough to attract Cadillac’s eye.

“It depends a lot on what I do in Formula 2 this year,” Crawford told Motorsport.com.

“If I can win the championship, it would be great for my career. It could lead to many opportunities, whether [that’s] with a seat on the grid or potentially again reserve driver next year in Formula 1.

“We’re trying to find any space on the grid, whether it’s with Cadillac or Aston Martin or some other teams.”

Crawford spent four years as a member of the Red Bull junior program before making the move to Aston Martin’s driver training ladder. While Aston Martin F1 would be a logical move, both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are contracted to continue with the team through the F1 2026 season.

Enter, Cadillac — although Crawford admits, “There have been talks. I’ve been talking, but it’s very slow at the moment.

“From my side, I just need to do a good job in Formula 2.”

He also knows that the team is attracting the likes of former F1 winners such as Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas. Standing out above those talents would be difficult, and Crawford even suggested, “There’s nothing I can do to compete.

“Actually, the only thing I can do is do well in F2. Other than that, I can’t really do anything else.”

In 2024, Crawford finished fifth overall in the Formula 2 standings, which netted him 20 super license points. The previous year, his seventh-place finish in Formula 3 was good enough for seven points.

That means Crawford is in need of 13 super license points in order to qualify for Formula 1 — which he can achieve so long as he finishes fifth or higher in the F2 standings this year.

Of course, fifth place in F2 may not be enough for Crawford to stand out amidst Cadillac’s admittedly lengthy “short list,” which includes the likes of Bottas, Perez, Mick Schumacher, Jack Doohan, and Zhou Guanyu. The more impressive his performance, the more likely he is to be considered for the big leagues — be it with Cadillac or with any other team.

Read next: Cadillac F1 driver shortlist, uncovered: Who’s most likely to sign a contract?