Cadillac are now only five months away from putting their debut F1 car on a track for the first time, yet the General Motors brand have still not signed any drivers for 2026.
Formula 1 will welcome Cadillac to its grid next year after permitting General Motors to join the pinnacle of motorsport via the American automotive giant’s luxury car brand. The 2026 F1 season will even start early, with the first pre-season test in Barcelona on January 26-30.
A trip to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will kick off Cadillac’s debut campaign, with the Montmelo track also witnessing the start of F1’s 2026 regulations era. It is widely expected that Valtteri Bottas or Sergio Perez, if not both, will also lead Cadillac onto F1’s grid in 2026.
Photo by Song Haiyuan/MB Media/Getty ImagesCadillac F1 Team are now interested in signing McLaren junior driver Alex Dunne
Yet the chances that Cadillac sign Perez for their 2026 F1 driver line-up are also now thought to be ‘more uncertain by the day’. While the American outfit appreciate what the Mexican’s experience and sponsors can yield for a new squad, a final decision has not yet been made.
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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
That is according to GPblog, which reports that Cadillac are still mulling over who to partner Bottas with for their debut driver line-up. Perez has long been at or near the top of their list, yet Cadillac are still open to fielding a rookie driver like Felipe Drugovich or now Alex Dunne.
Recently, it emerged that Cadillac see Drugovich as the ideal rookie teammate for Bottas, as they can possibly mould the current Aston Martin F1 reserve driver to be their future leader. But Dunne has taken Cadillac’s interest with his impressive rookie form in Formula 2 in 2025.
Bottas is open to the challenge of leading the currently small Cadillac operation into F1, and is fully aware of the scale of the task likely awaiting him there. Almost the entire F1 paddock expects Cadillac will be ‘very bad’ in 2026, when the GM outfit will buy engines from Ferrari.
McLaren junior driver Alex Dunne is fighting for the 2025 Formula 2 title as a rookie
Photo by James Sutton – Formula 1/Formula Motorsport Limited via Getty Images
McLaren junior driver Dunne made his F1 weekend debut in Austria as the Irishman stood in for Lando Norris during FP1 this June. Despite his lack of experience in Formula 1 machinery, the 19-year-old also set the fourth-best lap time and was 0.069s slower than Oscar Piastri.
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TEAMENGINERed BullRed Bull Powertrains (in partnership with Ford)FerrariFerrariMcLarenMercedesMercedesMercedesAston MartinHondaRacing BullsRed Bull Powertrains (in partnership with Ford)HaasFerrariWilliamsMercedesAlpineMercedesAudiAudiCadillacFerrariF1 engine suppliers for the 2026 season
What he showed in Austria also saw Karun Chandhok suggest McLaren should loan Dunne to Cadillac for the 2026 F1 season. The ex-HRT driver feels the Woking outfit will want to put their prospect on the grid somewhere, with Norris and Piastri locked in until 2028 and 2030.
Damon Hill called Dunne’s F1 weekend debut ‘meteoric’, as well, as the Offaly-born prospect doubled his time between FP1 for the F1 Austrian GP with McLaren and his F2 title bid with Rodin. Dunne was disqualified from P2 in F2’s Austria Feature Race for excessive plank wear.
A 10-second post-race penalty also stripped Dunne of his Feature Race win at Spa this July for a start set-up procedure infringement, sending him to P9 and costing the Irishman what would have been his third win. Dunne is fifth in the F2 standings, but 30 points off the lead.