When Cadillac’s successful entry bid was announced, Colton Herta was immediately named as an option for their 2026 driver line-up.
Herta, when the Cadillac project was under the supervision of the Andretti’s, was consistently linked with the US outfit.
Indeed, even when Cadillac/GM confirmed their F1 bid, the 25-year-old was seen as a likely choice.
However, Herta’s chances have diminished in recent months – with former F1 drivers being more strongly considered.
Why Herta has fallen in the Cadillac shortlist
For obvious reasons, an American team like Cadillac has spoken about the benefits that an American driver would bring to the team.
This move would certainly tick plenty of boxes from a commercial and sponsorship perspective.
However, Cadillac’s emphasis on signing someone from the States has gradually declined – with team principal Graeme Lowdon and senior advisor Mario Andretti admitting that any contracts would be awarded on merit.
Perhaps if Herta’s results in IndyCar were exceptional, his nationality might tip the scale in his favour.
Unfortunately for the Andretti driver, he currently sits 9th in the standings.
Not only could this relatively lowly position prevent him from securing the superlicense points to compete in F1, but it could reduce Cadillac’s enthusiasm in signing him – irrespective of the status of his license.
This is not to suggest the 25-year-old is completely out of contention in the race to secure a 2026 contract.
What does seem clear, however, is that other drivers with previous F1 experience are increasingly seen as stronger candidates.
Mario Andretti touched upon this topic in a recent interview with Fox Sports:
“Especially when you’re starting out, you have to try to consider the team itself – to go on merit.
“If we feel that, right at the moment, we might wait a season or so before we bring an American – so be it.
“As I said, the optimum idea would be if we could definitely say – ‘Yes, we have the American already’.
“At one point maybe we might have thought so, but we want to keep that option open.”
Other drivers lead the race
It was just under 10 years ago that Haas made their F1 debut. At the time, they were also posed the question of how highly they valued signing an American driver.
Haas’ stance on prioritising performance over nationality has persisted since 2016, and will continue for the foreseeable future.
Cadillac seem to be taking a similar approach, with Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu currently the favourites to join the team in 2026.
All three drivers, to varying degrees, bring a combination of experience, sponsorship and proven track records in F1 to the table.
In many ways, the commercial potential the likes of Perez and Zhou can offer eclipses the potential upside of signing Colton Herta.
After all, Cadillac/General Motors want to grow their brand internationally, and both these drivers are capable of assisting in this goal.
In previous LWOS analysis, Perez’s negotiations with other teams has been mentioned as potentially decisive in Cadillac’s line-up.
Should Perez agree to join another team, it would make negotiations far easier for the other drivers currently in negotiations.
Although multiple drivers are offering their services to what will become F1’s 11th team, their shortlist is relatively unchanged in recent months.
Main photo: Sauber Media Gallery
