Lowdon: Cadillac could sign an American F1 driver

Cadillac crew principal Graeme Lowdon has said that the incoming Components 1 squad will choose its first driver line-up on advantage – and that it may nonetheless include an American.

F1 and the FIA formally approved the entry of General Motors on Friday which means its Cadillac model will develop into the grid’s eleventh crew from 2026.

However preparations have lengthy been beneath strategy to get the crew in form for its debut, but no official conversations with potential drivers may happen till the ratification final week.

There are a number of drivers presently with out race seats in F1 who’ve been linked to Cadillac, whereas the prospect of the US squad hiring a homegrown racer has additionally been mooted.

“We undoubtedly choose on advantage,” stated Lowdon. “Components 1, it isn’t a playground, that is the top of world motorsport.

“I believe when it comes to timing, it is sort of a bit bit odd as a result of we’re out of sync with the opposite groups, we weren’t within the driver market throughout the pretty crucial final spherical, so sure drivers are tied up for sure durations.

Cadillac F1

Picture by: FIA

“Fortunately for us, there are lots of good drivers on the market, sadly, we have not been capable of be within the driver market till the entry was confirmed.

“It is essential for us to speak to numerous potential candidates. Can we see very gifted drivers who presently aren’t on the grid? Sure, we do.

“We’re going to be fairly busy speaking to some folks, my telephone’s actually been busy. What’s a bit bit troublesome due to the state of affairs that we’re in as a brand new crew, the timeline is not as laid out because it usually is. It is usually fairly clear for all of us concerned within the driver negotiations.

“However there are simply half a dozen, if no more candidates on the market who provide extraordinarily good credentials to be in Components 1 or to be in Components 1 once more.”

The likes of Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu misplaced their seats in F1 on the finish of final season and would deliver expertise to the Cadillac challenge. Zhou particularly is a reputation of notice given Lowdon makes up a part of the Ferrari reserve driver’s administration crew.

“It is a bit bit too early to go an excessive amount of into any element, as a result of it is solely now that we’re capable of have significant conversations,” added Lowdon. “However for certain, we need to have drivers that may contribute to the general programme.

Zhou Guanyu, Stake F1 Staff Kick Sauber, with Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Staff Kick Sauber

Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Photos

“I believe Zhou’s executed an exceptionally good job beneath troublesome circumstances and what makes it fairly helpful for me is he would not essentially want to clarify the background of his skills as a result of I’ve had a entrance row seat to see all that, in order that’s a profit.

“There’s the right checks and balances in place, so there is no favouritism in any explicit route in direction of him or every other driver that we could have involvement with on the grid.

“We’re there to do a job, so we’ll choose drivers on advantage. There are some actually good ones on the market, Zhou included.”

Whereas loads of names have been bandied round, the thought of recruiting an American driver is one that won’t go away. Regardless of a dearth of US F1 drivers in current instances, Lowdon didn’t rule out signing one for the 2026 season.

“The plain query is whether or not we’ll have American drivers and personally, I see no cause why an American driver cannot be chosen on advantage as properly,” he stated.

“It is actually one thing that the followers wish to see, and I see no cause why that may’t occur. However the overriding goal is advantage. We have a job to do right here.

“I do not see any explicit downside. I do not envisage any explicit downside on that entrance and as I stated earlier than, driver choice will certainly be on advantage. What I am making an attempt to emphasize is simply because somebody’s American does not imply that they cannot be a great Components 1 driver.”

Colton Herta, Andretti International w/ Curb-Agajanian Honda

Picture by: Geoffrey M. Miller / Motorsport Photos

One such driver linked with a seat is IndyCar’s Colton Herta at Andretti International, which has been concerned with the Normal Motors F1 entry.

However the issue for the 24-year-old is that he presently doesn’t have sufficient factors on his superlicence to compete in F1.

“With regard to Colton, so he would not have the required variety of superlicence factors and if that had been to stay the case, then that is clearly an obstacle for him,” stated Lowdon.

“We will not select a driver that does not have the factors, that’s simply the actual world that we stay in and we simply should take that under consideration.

“Does his lack of reaching or the shortage of being on the threshold for the superlicence in any method have an effect on his capability to drive a race automotive? No.

“He is extremely gifted, so it isn’t shock information that we might be trying to Colton alongside an entire bunch of different drivers as properly.

“He is not the one one really in that state of affairs and he will not be the primary, he will not be the final driver the place there’s some uncertainty as a consequence of superlicence factors, however we simply should stay with that. That is a regulation. We simply should respect it.”