Cadillac held talks with one of America’s top talents but were worried he’d be another Logan Sargeant

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Cadillac finally confirmed their 2026 Formula 1 driver line-up on Tuesday, signing Formula 1 veterans Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas. But one of the big headlines is that there was no American driver.

The Detroit-based company were initially expected to sign a US talent alongside an experienced figure like Perez or Bottas. But that strategy shifted over time.

Numerous candidates were considered, but none of them ultimately fit the bill for a team who expect to be starting at the back next year. Logan Sargeant, who was sacked by Williams just after the summer break last season, remains the country’s most recent representative.

Sargeant lasted 18 months in the seat but only scored one point in a period where teammate Alex Albon managed 31. He was outperformed by the Thai driver in almost every session.

Cadillac were concerned Jak Crawford would follow Logan Sargeant path

Sargeant showed promise in his junior career, winning five races and scoring 14 podiums across Formula 2 and Formula 3. He was a commendable fourth in his final F2 season.

But that evident talent didn’t necessarily translate to Formula 1 in the end, and Cadillac were wary of repeating the mistake that Williams made.

According to The Athletic, they held talks with Jak Crawford, the Aston Martin academy driver who’s currently second in F2. After careful deliberation, they favoured the ‘experience’ of Perez and Bottas.

A report from Autosport reveals fears that Crawford would follow a ‘similar trajectory’ to Sargeant in F1. If he was placed into a ‘challenging car’ too soon, it could turn a ‘confident young man’ into a ‘quaking wreck’.

Who else did Cadillac turn down before signing Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez?

Cadillac still haven’t announced their reserve driver(s), so Crawford may yet be part of the picture. Perez and Bottas have signed multi-year deals, but they’re also set to form the oldest F1 line-up, which means there could be opportunities long-term.

Crawford was Cadillac’s top American target, and that’s no surprise given that he’s clearly the US’ highest-profile talent within the European system right now.

Cadillac also explored a move for IndyCar driver Colton Herta, with ‘high-ranking executives’ advocating for him. Unfortunately, he didn’t possess the superlicence points required.

Zhou Guanyu’s candidacy was also unsuccessful, along with Mick Schumacher, Felipe Drugovich and Frederik Vesti.