Rumoured Cadillac prospect likens F1 chances to ‘Fernando Alonso hanging out with Taylor Swift’
Arrow McLaren's Pato O'Ward admits his shot at a Cadillac F1 seat is as likely as Fernando Alonso and Taylor Swift dating.
The shortlist of prospective drivers linked to the incoming Cadillac F1 team is anything but short — but there’s one driver who knows he’s not in contention.
Arrow McLaren IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward was briefly linked to the Cadillac team — but according to him, joining Cadillac is as likely as Taylor Swift actually dating Fernando Alonso!
Pato O’Ward offers colourful Cadillac F1 denial
Last weekend, IndyCar’s Pato O’Ward snatched the checkered flag first at Iowa Speedway in what represented his 100th start in the series — but is there a future for the Mexican driver in Formula 1? O’Ward says ‘no.’
The F1 2026 season will see the introduction of Cadillac F1, an American team helmed by Andretti Global backer Dan Towriss and former Manor Marussia team head Graeme Lowdon. While the pieces of the team have begun to come together, its driver line-up remains a much-speculated mystery, and for a brief period of time, Arrow McLaren’s Mexican driver was posed as a potential candidate.
But speaking to ESPN in a Spanish-language interview, O’Ward admitted that he never felt he had a chance with Cadillac.
“That was pure smoke, pure social media,” he said, laughing.
“The rumours about me going to Cadillac were like the rumours about Fernando Alonso hanging out with Taylor Swift!”
O’Ward is referring to early 2024 speculation that pop megastar Taylor Swift had begun seeing Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso after both parties had separated from their respective partners. Alonso himself teasingly played into the rumours, which proved to be nothing more than idle speculation.
Indeed, Cadillac F1 advisor Mario Andretti stated that he thought O’Ward could be a good fit for the team, but there does not seem to be any substance behind what amounted to Andretti’s speculation.
More from Pato O’Ward:
👉 ‘They made me feel like a pop star’ – Pato O’Ward’s ‘intense’ Formula 1 homecoming
👉 Loud engines, South American races: How Pato O’Ward believes IndyCar can challenge Formula 1
In many ways, O’Ward’s name ended up linked to Cadillac thanks to the team’s early statements that it intended to sign a qualified American driver, should one present himself. Of course, O’Ward hails from Mexico, but the fan-favourite IndyCar driver has a massive fanbase in North America that could have served to bridge the gap between Cadillac’s goals and its reality.
However, there’s a different fan-favourite racer from Mexico strongly linked to the Cadillac F1 seat: Sergio Perez.
O’Ward said in the ESPN interview, “I know he would do it, because I think his exit from Formula 1 wasn’t what he wanted
“Whether or not he chooses to return, he will be an idol. I don’t think much changes there.”
When asked if he felt Perez would return to Formula 1, O’Ward said, “Yes, because I already saw him training. He wouldn’t be training if he wasn’t going to come back.”
The 35-year-old driver from Guadalajara has a long history in Formula 1 dating back to 2011. Having contested for outfits like Sauber, McLaren, Force India, and Red Bull, Perez has the veteran experience that Cadillac has increasingly come to claim is its goal for 2026, with his recent experience at a dominant Red Bull likely being of particular interest to Cadillac.
Further, Perez brings with him ample sponsorship from Mexican businessman Carlos Slim as well as an extremely dedicated fanbase that would combine to kick Cadillac off on the right foot.
Valtteri Bottas, former Mercedes and Sauber driver, has also been linked to the Cadillac operation; he and Perez remain two of the most likely signings on the American team’s “quite long” list of prospects.
Others linked to the seat include Zhou Guanyu, Mick Schumacher, and Jack Doohan.
With China serving as Cadillac’s strongest market for consumer automobile sales and his previous experience driving a Ferrari-engined customer F1 machine, Zhou could be a strong choice for the team. Further, his manager is none other than Graeme Lowdon, the man who will serve as Cadillac’s team principal upon its F1 entry.
Mick Schumacher and Jack Doohan have both emerged as potential Cadillac F1 candidates in recent days as well.
There’s still plenty up in the air, but for Pato O’Ward, the Cadillac dream is firmly at an end.
Read next: Sergio Perez set to be confirmed at Cadillac, reports claim