Cadillac now look set to complete their 2026 F1 driver roster following the signings of Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, along with naming Colton Herta as an F1 test driver.
The General Motors brand will debut in the pinnacle of motorsport next year with Perez and Bottas behind the wheel of the first Cadillac F1 cars. But team principal Graeme Lowdon still must source a reserve driver, as Herta is not currently eligible to step in for an F1 Grand Prix.
Cadillac have signed Perez and Bottas respectively on two-year contracts to spearhead their arrival in the 2026 F1 season. Lowdon and the Cadillac leadership favoured experience over youth for their debut F1 driver line-up for 2026, thus secured two of the most experienced.
Herta does not have enough points to qualify for the FIA superlicence required to race in F1. So, the 25-year-old Californian is set to race in Formula 2 in 2026 to try to build his tally after leaving his Andretti IndyCar seat. Herta is also likely to appear in F1 FP1 sessions for Cadillac.
Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty ImagesCadillac look set to sign Aston Martin junior Jak Crawford as their 2026 F1 reserve driver
Cadillac’s need for an F1 reserve driver has seen Lowdon turn his attention to Aston Martin junior Jak Crawford. According to Motorsport.com, the GM outfit look set to sign the North Carolina native to understudy for Bottas and Perez, with Herta unable to race in Formula 1.
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Crawford currently holds a development driver role at Aston Martin, as the American joined their academy programme in February 2024. He was also a reserve driver with the Andretti Formula E team during the 2024/25 season, and he tested in their Gen3 and Gen3Evo cars.
Andretti decided not to sign Crawford for a 2025/26 Formula E race seat, though, as Aston Martin F1 reserve Felipe Drugovich signed a multi-year contract. Instead, TWG Motorsports (which oversees Andretti FE and Cadillac F1) will name Crawford to be Cadillac’s F1 reserve.
Cadillac rejected Jak Crawford to sign Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas as their race drivers
Photo by James Sutton – Formula 1/Formula Motorsport Limited via Getty Images
Crawford is on course to earn enough points to qualify for a superlicence, as the 20-year-old only needs to finish the 2025 F2 season in the top five of the standings as he already has 31. The top three in the F2 standings receive all 40 of the points needed for an FIA superlicence.
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DAMS driver Crawford currently sits second in the 2025 Formula 2 standings with rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi remaining. The Charlotte-born charger trails Invicta Racing’s Leonardo Fornaroli by 19 points, having cut his deficit with his third Feature Race win of 2025 in Baku.
Crawford has taken Feature Race wins in Monaco, Silverstone and Baku this year, along with a Sprint Race win at Imola, amid his third year in Formula 2. But while his potential may now be enough to secure a Cadillac F1 reserve driver role, it was not enough to merit a race seat.
Cadillac overlooked Crawford to sign Bottas and Perez, as the GM brand feared he would be another Logan Sargeant by putting an inexperienced driver in a difficult car next year. Alpine have shown an interest in Crawford, who DAMS owner Charles Pic calls “incredible”, as well.