The Formula 1 summer break should be the perfect opportunity for Cadillac to sign their first driver for next season.
The summer is normally when the Formula 1 driver market swings into action each season.
However, this year appears to be very different as so few drivers are out of contract heading into next year.
Formula 1’s upcoming regulation change means many teams signed their drivers to multi-year contracts last season to give them a sense of stability.
TEAMDRIVER 1DRIVER 2AlpinePierre GaslyN/AAston MartinFernando AlonsoLance StrollAudiGabriel BortoletoNico HulkenbergCadillacN/AN/AFerrariCharles LeclercLewis HamiltonHaasEsteban OconOliver BearmanMcLarenLando NorrisOscar PiastriMercedesN/AN/ARacing BullsN/AN/ARed Bull RacingMax VerstappenN/AWilliamsAlex AlbonCarlos Sainz2026 confirmed F1 drivers
This leaves Formula 1’s newest team, Cadillac, on the back foot, as they only got confirmation of their entry into the sport after many of these deals had been confirmed.
It means Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon has his choice of all the free agents in the market, and several reserve drivers and Formula 2 stars who would do anything to be on the grid next year.
However, Cadillac need to be as ambitious as possible, and while no one knows how competitive they’ll be next season, they need to give themselves the best chance possible to compete with the strongest drivers possible.
It means that the handful of drivers out of contract for 2026 are also potential targets for the American outfit, and the most high-profile of those is Mercedes star George Russell.
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Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesCadillac have an ‘interest’ in signing Mercedes star George Russell
A report from Sky Sports has shared more details about Russell’s Formula 1 future.
Both Russell and Mercedes teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli are out of contract at the end of the season.
Russell looks set to sign a new Mercedes deal very soon, although he admitted after the Hungarian Grand Prix that he’s not likely to put pen to paper during the summer break.
CategoryGeorge RussellAndrea Kimi Antonelli2025 points17264Grand Prix results140Grand Prix qualifying131Grand Prix wins10Grand Prix poles10Grand Prix podiums61Best finish1st3rdDisqualifications00Retirements02Retirements (classified finish)00Fastest laps22Grand Prix points finishes148Sprint results30Sprint Qualifying21Sprint wins00Sprint poles01Sprint podiums00The 2025 F1 teammate head-to-head battle of George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Sky Sports reports that both Aston Martin and Cadillac hold an ‘interest’ in Russell, even if a new contract is set to be signed very soon.
Speaking about his future, Russell said: “There’s no time pressure. It will happen, it will happen.
“It’s when, not if. I’m 27 now, I’ve been with the team for four years, [and] next year would be my fifth. We want to build the relationship together, but it’s got to be right.
“I don’t want to rush it. I’ve been waiting 12 months. I’m not just going to rush it over the course of two weeks. We will sit down when the time is right.”
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Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesWhich drivers could sign for Cadillac for the 2026 Formula 1 season?
Russell was described as ‘world-class’ by Eddie Jordan earlier in his Formula 1 career, and would have been a sensational signing for F1’s newest team.
Having scored 886 points in his career thus far, he has a good chance of breaking the 1,000-point barrier this season and has very little reason to leave Mercedes as long as they want him, especially with a move for Max Verstappen currently off the table.
Russell’s Mercedes colleague, Valtteri Bottas, is an option for Cadillac as he looks to make a return to the grid.
Bottas has had a very successful career in Formula 1, although his final season with Sauber might be slightly concerning for Cadillac.
Sergio Perez is of interest to Cadillac, and would bring experience, sponsorship money and a huge legion of fans.
If Cadillac decide against two experienced options, the likes of Felipe Drugovich, Frederik Vesti, and even Mick Schumacher have been discussed as options.
These are far more realistic options than Russell, but the British four-time race winner would have been a statement signing if he couldn’t agree on terms with Mercedes.