New Formula 1 team Cadillac have yet to confirm the two drivers who will race for them in their debut season in 2026, with Mick Schumacher among several linked with the outfit
Alpine endurance racing drivers Jules Gounon, Frederic Makowiecki and Mick Schumacher(Image: LAT Images)
Cadillac have been warned against signing Mick Schumacher to race for their new Formula 1 outfit. The German racer is one of many who have been linked with the new team which will join the grid to race for the first time next year.
Their entry creates two more race seats for drivers to fight for, meaning many who have been left without a place on the grid this year have shown particular interest. And Schumacher is one of them, the 26-year-old desperate to revive his F1 career.
He last raced in the sport in 2022, when he was axed by Haas after just two seasons. He started 43 races during that period but managed to score just 12 points overall, a return not enough to convince then-team principal Guenther Steiner to offer a new deal.
Schumacher, son of seven-time F1 champion Michael, immediately joined his father’s old Mercedes team as a reserve. Last year, also signed with Alpine to race in the World Endurance Championship and has enjoyed three podium finishes to date.
He hopes to use his WEC exploits to earn a return to F1 one day, where he feels he has unfinished business. And he has been particularly vocal about his chances of landing a seat with Cadillac who have been in no rush to make a decision over their drivers.
In an interview last month with Brazilian media, Schumacher said “talks are taking place” with the outfit, which he said had been going in a “very positive” direction. He added: “It is an incredible project, a great story. So it is something I feel honoured to be part of, negotiating, and it is a great position to be in.”
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Whether or not Schumacher manages to land on of those two coveted spots remains to be seen. But former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve has made clear his belief that Cadillac would be making a mistake if they pick the German.
The 1997 title winner said: “Mick Schumacher had a hard time when he was at Haas. He has not an experienced driver either. There is no reason to go for him.”
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Cadillac are said to be close to agreeing a deal to sign six-time F1 race winner Sergio Perez, who has been off the grid this season after being axed by Red Bull last December. The other front-runner for a seat is Mercedes reserve driver Valtteri Bottas, who has won 10 F1 races in his career and would be a much better choice as far as Villeneuve is concerned.
The Canadian added: “Bottas has a lot of experience and he has shown that he can win races. And he has been with an amazing team in Mercedes, so those are good attributes to have. It is hard to judge his Sauber years. I do not think there was any hunger there.”