McLaren driver addresses rumors of him joining Cadillac's F1 team for the 2026 F1 season

Arrow McLaren IndyCar driver Pato O'Ward reacted to rumors of him joining the Cadillac F1 team in 2026 alongside Sergio Perez. He confirmed there's been no contact with the team, but he hopes the speculations come true.

O'Ward, a promising Mexican racer, has been associated with Arrow McLaren since 2020. He competes for the Papaya team in the IndyCar series and occasionally features in private tests for the F1 team.

However, rumors of him joining the General Motors-backed F1 team have surfaced. He is reportedly in talks with the 11th entrant team to grab a seat alongside his fellow Mexican F1 driver, Perez.

Previously, O'Ward said he wishes to transition into Formula 1, with or without McLaren. However, when F1 insider Kym Illman approached him, he said he put out that statement to fuel the fire, as he hasn't been contacted by Cadillac at all. However, he does wish to be paired up with Perez, as having two Mexican drivers in a single F1 team would be a historic moment for his countrymen.

"Everybody kept saying Cadillac, you and Checo [Sergio Perez]," O'Ward said. "I was like, I'm going to add some logs to the fire, and I'm going to poke them. That [earlier statement] was just me having fun with it. There's been no contact at all.

"I do think it would be really cool to have a full-on Mexican team. Two Mexican drivers in a Formula 1 team—that would be historic for the country. I mean the country would fall. You never know if it becomes true."

The General Motors team hasn't decided its drivers' lineup for the upcoming season. While Perez was reportedly leading the race, some rumors also claim that he is in talks with Alpine to replace Franco Colapinto in case he fails to perform during his five-race contract.

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Cadillac not in a hurry to confirm drivers' lineup

Cadillac F1 Launch Event Miami - Source: Getty

Ahead of its F1 debut in 2026 as the 11th team, Cadillac hosted a big event in Miami earlier this month to showcase its vision for next year. However, the team refused to reveal what their potential drivers' lineup could look like.

While Sergio Perez, Mick Schumacher, Valtteri Bottas and Pato O'Ward are some names linked to the team, TWG Motorsports boss Dan Towriss rejected speculations.

Talking to Formula 1, Towriss said:

"We're not in a hurry to select a driver. There's a lot that goes into selecting your pilot for F1, so we're taking our time. The list certainly includes the names that many people are talking about. Though I do get a kick out of waking up each day and reading that we're in the final stages of the contract [when we are not]."

He added that while driver performance is important, experience is equally crucial for new teams as they require accurate feedback to grow and improve.