James Hinchcliffe has his ‘fingers crossed’ that one ex-F1 driver gets a seat at Cadillac in 2026

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There will be two extra seats on the Formula 1 grid in 2026 when Cadillac finally joins the fray and becomes the 11th team.

F1 teams were initially reluctant to grant another entry because it would mean a further split in the prize pool money, while some were also wary of them demonstrating accretive qualities.

Cadillac was initially rejected under the Andretti banner because of this, but the entry was picked up by GM, who promised they would enter as a full works outfit for 2028.

Since then, there has been speculation over who will drive for the team, with various ex-F1 driver names being thrown around, including Zhou Guanyu and Mick Schumacher.

Discussing their driver situation on the Red Flags podcast, James Hinchcliffe said he has his ‘fingers crossed’ for one driver.

James Hinchcliffe has ‘fingers crossed’ for Sergio Perez comeback

Aston Martin reserve driver Felipe Drugovich is said to be at the top of the list for Cadillac, while ex-Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas is also tipped to be in the lead for a seat, along with former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez.

Neither Perez nor Bottas have signed contracts for Cadillac yet, but Hinchcliffe is hopeful that the Mexican can get a deal done to ensure attendance at the Mexico GP does not suffer.

Muller: “Will anyone even be in attendance if Checo’s not there?”
Hinch: “Yeah, they will. I mean, not as many, but they’ll be there.”
Elisofon: “But he’ll be there next year because it’s looking like he’s getting that Cadillac seat…”
Hinch: “Fingers crossed, man.”

Cadillac’s lineup could also include Schumacher, with the son of the legendary Michael Schumacher in the running for a reserve driver role that could also include a seat in their sports car programme.

READ MORE: Sergio Perez’s life outside F1 from net worth to nickname

Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas the most likely candidates for Cadillac

Perez and Bottas are the two most likely candidates for a seat at Cadillac given their recent experience, while they would also be a safe pair of hands.

But with Perez reaching 36 years old by the time the season starts next year, he isn’t exactly a long-term solution for the team.

Toto Wolff still feels Schumacher is capable of doing a ‘perfect job’ in F1, after he has worked with Mercedes in their simulator and at various tests.

Hinchcliffe has backed an upcoming American talent currently racing in NASCAR as a potential driver, should the pairing of Bottas and Perez be too expensive.