Another American Team Heads to F1. Will We See an American Driver?

With the announcement Monday that Cadillac would join the Formula 1 grid in 2026, and become an engine supplier by 2028, long-suffering F1 fans in the U.S. have reason to rejoice—within reason.

Even Greg Maffei, outgoing president and CEO of Colorado-based Liberty Media, which owns F1, seemed buoyed by the development. “With Formula 1’s continued growth plans in the U.S., we have always believed that welcoming an impressive U.S. brand like GM/Cadillac to the grid and GM as a future power unit supplier could bring additional value and interest to the sport,” he said.

That’s a far cry from what former F1 champ Mario Andretti was telling the media last May, when he said he spoke to Maffei at a reception for the Miami Grand Prix. At the moment Andretti’s son, Michael, had partnered with Cadillac, and together they were seeking entry into F1. According to Mario, Maffei said this: “Mario, I want to tell you that I will do everything in my power to see that Michael never enters Formula 1.” Presumably Maffei was miffed that Michael, and for that matter Mario, had done everything short of going to Congress to publicly influence Liberty Media to grant Andretti Cadillac a seat at the table.

No, wait, they did go to Congress, and a dozen members of that body sent a letter to Liberty demanding answers as to why Andretti Cadillac’s application for inclusion on the F1 grid was rejected. Likely their questions did not sit well with Maffei, and it appeared at the time that Cadillac’s wish to go Formula 1 racing would go down the drain. After all, with the announcement that the group would be seeking an F1 license, GM President Mark Reuss, a dedicated racing fan, said this in January of 2023: “General Motors is honored to team with Andretti Global on this historic moment in racing. We have a long, rich history in motorsports and engineering innovation, and we are thrilled with the prospect of pairing with Andretti Global to form an American F1 team that will help spur even more global interest in the series and the sport.”

Of course, that didn’t fly. It wasn’t until Michael Andretti stepped down last month as president and CEO of his own company, Andretti Global, that things started happening. And they happened fast. It took less than two months for Cadillac to be granted entry into F1; Michael had been trying for two years. Given the limited time frame, the new F1 team will have to build on the foundation that Michael had already laid.

Bottom line: Cadillac, a distinctly American company, is going F1 racing. And Reuss is still solidly behind the project. “It’s an honor for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world’s premier racing series,” he said yesterday, “and we’re committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for race fans around the world.”

Even with the backing of General Motors, effectively penetrating the world’s toughest racing series will not be easy. And there’s no guarantee that a team based in America will feel that much like an American team.

After the failure of the U.S. F1 Team to find funding, even after it was promised a spot on the F1 grid in 2010, and even after the team principals promised to promote American drivers, the prospect of a genuine U.S. team never seemed darker. But in April of 2014, American businessman Gene Haas announced that he had been granted a license to establish a Formula 1 team that would be based in America, and the possibilities soared. Finally, a properly financed American F1 team! Haas was already part owner of NASCAR’s Stewart-Haas Racing, with driver Tony Stewart: Certainly Haas F1 would leave a great big American footprint.

But it didn’t. Never happened then, isn’t happening now. We should have paid more attention back then to NASCAR driver Kurt Busch, who was part of the Stewart-Haas roster. “The Haas Automation brand is, to me, what his passion is, and he sees his ability to create a stronger footprint globally,” Busch said in 2014. “F1 is a footprint to advertise in, and to create your brand’s name in motorsports, you do it with F1. There’s no other ranking higher.”

And that’s what happened. Haas, who builds CNC machines that automate the manufacturing process, already had a strong presence in the U.S., and he was seeking more attention overseas. He got it. Haas Automation banners hung all over F1 racing circuits. CNC machines are bought by businesses, not individuals: He wasn’t advertising Coca-Cola or potato chips, he was advertising to other businesses. And many of those businesses lay outside of America.

So that dream of a truly American F1 team never happened. Haas and his associates selected international drivers, largely from the list of Usual Suspects: That first year that Haas had cars on the grid, the drivers were Romain Grosjean (France) and Esteban Gutiérrez (Mexico). The team finished eighth in points, a solid showing for a rookie effort. The team has never finished higher than fifth, and has never fielded an American driver. But so what? Haas made it into Formula 1, and has lasted for nine seasons so far. Good for Gene Haas: Somehow, he has made the numbers work, and despite occasional complaints from the usually quiet Haas about rising costs, we assume it has been a good deal for Haas Automation.

Will we see American drivers racing for Cadillac? That may be unlikely at first: Any fledgling team needs drivers who can provide reliable feedback, and it doesn’t seem probable that any American driver with F1 experience (Logan Sargeant, we’re looking at you) would be on the short list for the Cadillac team.

Part of the problem with an American driver is that to get a shot at F1, you need to do what Sargeant did: Make a name for yourself in international karting, then go compete where the Europe-based F1 teams can keep an eye on you, in series such as Formula Renault, Formula 4, then Formula 3, then Formula 2. All of which Florida native Sargeant did well in, thus resulting in his shot at F1, with Williams, in 2023. To which, many U.S. Formula 1 fans responded: Logan who? As Sargeant began chasing an F1 ride, he did the proper thing—move to Europe and race there. It worked, but he had very little name recognition in America. We had an American driver, but few cared, because we’d never seen Sargeant race here. He lasted 36 races, and now he’s looking for an IndyCar ride.

Cadillac may well be forced into that corner of ignoring drivers who check both boxes: They’re American, and American race fans know who they are. The most likely source for an American formula driver would be the IndyCar series, where American drivers are a minority. And who on the list might be considered? Alexander Rossi already had his shot at F1, and at age 33, it seems improbable that he’ll go back. Josef Newgarden, maybe? Colton Herta? Conor Daly? Kyle Kirkwood?

All would have solid U.S. name recognition, but would have an uphill climb in F1, just like Michael Andretti himself faced when left IndyCar and signed with McLaren F1 to drive in 1993. He was gone by the end of the season. There’s a reason why American drivers seeking an F1 ride move to Europe to start the journey, not only because of the visibility, but because many of the junior series race on the same circuits as F1. Almost every track an IndyCar driver races on in F1 would be a new one—a distinct disadvantage to an F1 team starting out, looking to benchmark itself against experienced teams, and experienced drivers. Are you getting beat because of your car, or your driver?

So, let’s face it: There’s reason for hope, but it’s no sure thing that we’ll see an American driver in F1 driving for Cadillac, or anybody else, for that matter. Is being an American team enough for Cadillac to win the hearts and minds of U.S. fans? It will be interesting to see what kind of marketing Cadillac does leading up to the team’s debut. There’s a real opportunity here. I hope it isn’t wasted.