The Cadillac F1 team is a go. General Motors’ foray into Formula One was finally approved, putting TWG Global on track to become the 11th team on the grid in 2026. Thus far, details regarding the team’s driver lineup have been slim, but open wheel racing legend Jacques Villeneuve says that Colton Herta could very well become Caddy’s wheelman.
Villeneuve sat down with Spin Casino for an interview to discuss a myriad of topics, including the forthcoming Cadillac F1 team. He said that GM’s entry into the sport is “big news,” and that it’s good for an American brand to have representation in F1. He said that he thinks Herta could be an excellent addition to the burgeoning team, and he’s already got some history with CEO Dan Towriss.
“Originally a lot of the financial backing for the team involved contacts with Colton Herta the IndyCar driver. Colton has been sponsored by Dan Towriss, the CEO of Group 1001, the insurance group,” Villeneuve said. “Herta was always the name being mentioned. All he needed was his super license. I am sure he is in the picture. An American driver in an American team would be huge for marketing.”
Herta currently competes in IndyCar, finishing second in the 2024 campaign with one victory, breaking a two-year drought. He also has experience in IMSA and completed a brief stint in F1 as a test driver for McLaren. He would be an ideal fit for the Cadillac F1 team, which has already stated that it’s interested in securing American talent for at least one of its two entries.
“You also need an experienced driver in the other one, an experienced driver with talent which is not always the same thing,” Villeneuve said, adding that a driver like Carlos Sainz could fit the bill.
However, Villeneuve said that GM should not treat the Cadillac F1 endeavor as simply a marketing tool, like Alpine has. If it goes that route, it’s unlikely to succeed, saying, “If they do it the way Alpine was doing it, then it will be worthless. If they do it the way that Mercedes and Ferrari have been doing it, then that is very different and definitely worthwhile.”
While GM is slated to begin building its own power units in a few years’ time, until then, the Caddy F1 outfit will source its engines from Ferrari.
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Under current leadership will anyone be surprised if GM suffers International Embarrassment on F1 Tracks ?
” GM Team just announced withdrawl on lap 19 …
Failure of the Infotainment System “
Herta is one of three current IndyCar drivers that could probably compete in F1, along with Alex Palou and Pato O’Ward. I’ve seen his last two race victories in person and the talent is definitely there, if not the consistency. If he finishes in the top three in IC in 2025, he’ll have the superlicense points to make the jump.