Would Russell leave Mercedes for this new team?

18:49, 14 May

bySavannah Lenz

Cadillac will join the Formula 1 grid as the 11th team in 2026, but they have not yet announced a lineup. Former F1 drivers Ralf Schumacher and Timo Glock named their candidate picks.

Cadillac's future lineup is a hot topic with fans and critics alike wondering who will drive for the American team. Glock and Schumacher, however, have their ideas.

On the Backstage Boxengasse podcast, Glock said, "Mick would definitely be someone who is no longer relevant. I think he's the one who gets the last of it? It feels like he's more involved in racing and roasting coffee."

"But then there's no absolute number one driver for a driver who I think has to be there."

He continued, "You have to take experience, you can take Perez, you can bring back Ricciardo. You have people with experience, but there's no one who's a flyer. Maybe in the first year of the team, you don't need someone with experience. Sergio Perez or Daniel Ricciardo, would be at the top of the list,"

Sergio Pérez has been long linked with a possible seat at Cadillac in 2026.

Schumacher finds former F1 drivers 'Not good enough'

Schumacher, however, disagrees. He said he would not pick a previous F1 driver.

"From my point of view, they are not good enough. They have often proven that. Then I buy a problem that I don't need. I would try to recruit a size in the current F1, which is possible."

"For example, George Russell. He doesn't have a contract with Mercedes yet. If I were Cadillac, I would take a lot of money, ring the doorbell and say, we want you for the next 3-5 years. Here is your opportunity."

If Cadillac did happen to lure Russell away from Mercedes, that could possibly open the door for Max Verstappen to join Kimi Antonelli

This article was written in collaboration with Mitchel van der Hoef.