Former Formula 1 driver Jacques Villeneuve has some advice for Cadillac, the American team set to join the grid as the eleventh racing stable in 2026. The team has yet to announce its drivers, but names like Mercedes reserve driver Valtteri Bottas and former Haas driver Mick Schumacher have been linked to Cadillac. Villeneuve has some suggestions on which of the two drivers would be a better choice for the team.
Mick Schumacher has been waiting for a chance to return to Formula 1 for some time now. The German drove for Haas until the end of the 2022 season, when the American team decided to replace him with Nico Hülkenberg. Schumacher then had the opportunity to serve as a reserve driver for Mercedes, but chose to leave the Silver Arrows at the end of 2024. The driver is now being linked with a seat at the eleventh team, Cadillac.
‘No reason to choose Schumacher’
However, Schumacher is not the only candidate for a spot at the newest racing stable on the grid. Sergio Pérez, Zhou Guanyu, and Valtteri Bottas are also mentioned as contenders. Former F1 driver Jacques Villeneuve, however, has a clear preference if he were in charge at Cadillac. “Mick Schumacher struggled when he drove for Haas, he is therefore not an experienced driver,” says the former world champion. “There is no reason for Cadillac to choose him.”
The Canadian would rather choose the more experienced Bottas if he were Cadillac team boss Graeme Lowdon. “Bottas has a lot of experience, and has won races before. He also drove for Mercedes, a great team. So that’s definitely in his favor. It’s hard to judge his Sauber years. I think he lost his hunger then.” While it’s still unclear how far any talks between Bottas and Cadillac have progressed, the Finn already has the approval of Toto Wolff to sign a contract with a new team.
