Pato O’Ward sets the record straight on Cadillac F1 rumours

IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward has set the record straight on rumours about a potential move to the Cadillac Formula 1 team in 2026.

The Mexican driver, who is currently second in the IndyCar Series drivers’ standings, is one of many who have been linked to a contract with the new American F1 team. The team, which will make its debut in the championship in 2026, is yet to confirm any driver contracts, but O’Ward has indicated that he will not be taking one of the two seats.

When asked about the rumours, O’Ward poked fun at previous speculation that two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso was dating Taylor Swift, which turned out to be false.

“The rumours about me going to Cadillac were like the rumours about Fernando Alonso hanging out with Taylor Swift,” the Arrow McLaren driver quipped to ESPN Mexico.

The links between O’Ward and F1 aren’t entirely unfounded, as he took part in Free Practice 1 for the McLaren F1 team at the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix and is set to do the same this year, as part of his role as reserve driver.

Cadillac F1 team principal Graeme Lowdon has confirmed that the team is in talks with multiple drivers, including former Haas F1 driver Mick Schumacher, Mercedes reserve and former Sauber F1 driver Valtteri Bottas and former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez.

Mario Andretti, who sits on the board of directors for Cadillac F1, previously spoke about the possibility of signing an American driver to the team, confirming that Andretti IndyCar driver Colton Herta was another option. But Lowdon reiterated to Motorsport.com in April 2025 that drivers will be chosen on “merit”.

“We’ll select drivers on merit. Having a driver on merit doesn’t mean you can’t have an American passport as well. We’ve got a lot to choose from,” he said.

Graeme Lowdon, Cadillac F1 team principal

Photo by: Cadillac Communications

“But also, you can’t just judge an F1 team on what they’re doing this year or next year. The team’s here to stay. I think the fans would love to see an American driver in an American team. There’s nothing stopping that from happening, but we’ve just got to go ahead and select on merit and build a team, because there are a few very experienced drivers available.

“We weren’t able to participate in the last round of driver negotiations, so we’re out of sync with a lot of other teams. But there’s some advantages to that as well. There’s a lot of very good drivers available at the minute.

“As and when we put the driver line-up together, whatever it is, it’ll be a strong one.”