The principal of the Cadillac Formula 1 team provided an honest update on his interest in Sergio Perez.
The looted Red Bull driver Perez sparked a stir when he claimed “some teams” were in touch to get him back to Formula 1.
Cadillac, who will be taking part in the sports next year but has yet to sign up for drivers, was supposed to be one of Perez’s admirers.
Team boss Graeme Lodon told Speed City broadcast:
“It’s not surprising that people with recent Formula 1 experience will be on that list.
“The discussion is very preliminary, we are beginning to know what the level of interest is for people and what their motivations are.
“We certainly haven’t had a high level discussion with the driver.”
Perez lost his seat at Red Bull after 2024, poor 2024. There, the inability to score points put the team at a disadvantage against McLaren in the Constructors Championship.
However, the difficulties discovered by Liam Lawson in the RB21 shed new light on Perez’s performance last year.
Elsewhere, Valtteri Bottas is another experienced name with no race seats that can be placed on the Cadillac list.
Cadillac dreams of becoming an American driver, with Colton Hertha and Formula 2’s Jacques Crawford being the most obvious names.
“Colton has just begun their IndyCar season,” Lodoon said.
“We want to see how Jak moves into Formula 1.
“There are a lot of them too, and everyone would expect F1 teams to hire drivers on merit, and that’s what we do.
“But at some stage there’s nothing to stop you from having more than one driver from the US.”
Cadillac’s “disadvantage” in lectures in the F1 driver market
Supported by General Motors, Cadillac will become the 11th Formula 1 team on the grid in 2026.
Their arrival coincides with new engine regulations. It also provides American manufacturers for F1.
However, they were unable to snap the driver as they were unable to seriously take part in the latest round of negotiations.
“It was a huge disadvantage to not being able to participate in the final round of the driver market,” Lodon said.
“It wasn’t fair to us when there were no confirmed entries.
“We were able to meet with the drivers and talk to them, but we weren’t able to play in that marketplace without our entries confirmed.
“It was a huge disadvantage. Many teams concluded a new regulatory arrangement in 2026.
“The advantage is that there are a lot of really good drivers who are hungry to be in F1 or return to F1.
“Therefore, there is no shortage of potential applicants.
“My phone has been pretty busy since the entry was confirmed.
“But we’re pretty early on. Drivers are an important part of the team. It’s a sport, and in Formula 1, drivers are heroes.
“It’s important to spend time with potential drivers on the team and find out what their motivation is.
“I emphasize that we are in a very early stage at this point.”