Mario Andretti declares interest in signing McLaren driver for Cadillac F1

Cadillac will soon make its debut on the F1 grid in 2026, and a hoard of IndyCar drivers is supposedly on the radar for the team, including Pato O'Ward, as Mario Andretti opened up about the possibility of the McLaren man joining the team. The Mexican driver stands second in the interim standings and is regarded as one of the fastest drivers on the IndyCar grid.

After a relentless push from the Formula One Management (FOM) to not allow the Andretti name to get onboard the F1 grid, Mario's son, Michael Andretti, had to relinquish control of Andretti's F1 project. This led General Motors to take over the F1 venture, and it was subsequently awarded the status of the 11th F1 team.

While the Andretti name is no longer involved with the GM/Cadillac F1 team as Michael is no longer on board the management team, his father, Mario Andretti, is a part of the board of directors of the American team. This has posed the 85-year-old with the crucial responsibility of helping decide the two drivers who will drive for the team in 2026.

Though Colton Herta has dominated this discussion, the former F1 champion was asked about whether Pato O'Ward could be a leading candidate. Answering this, Mario Andretti revealed the complexities of getting O'Ward to race for Cadillac, as he said (via ESPN Fans):

"Of course. I mean he has tremendous talent. He has shown that of course; we would have to fight pretty hard with McLaren because at the moment he's under their contract. So yeah, you have to keep your options open, when they come, maybe many situations are not available today but in a year or two... who knows you have to keep your options open at all times, you can't say [that] we only can go in this direction because things change." (23:50 onwards)

The Mexican has been a reserve driver for the McLaren F1 team since 2024 but has no clear path for securing a drive with the team in the F1 realm.

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Is Mario Andretti's Cadillac the best chance for Pato O'Ward to get into F1?

Pato O'Ward at the F1 post-season Abu Dhabi test with McLaren - Source: Getty

O'Ward, in his own right, has mustered great success in the IndyCar world. However, his hopes of joining the F1 grid with McLaren seem to be in vain, as the team already has two drivers with long-term contracts, with Oscar Piastri signing an extension earlier this year that ties him to the Woking-based squad until the end of 2028.

With Mario Andretti looking for drivers that could help Cadillac F1 prosper, the American team could be Pato O'Ward's best bet to get in the F1 sphere. Reflecting on how he cannot continue playing second-fiddle with McLaren for his F1 dream, the 25-year-old had earlier said (via The Race):

"I'm at a point in my career where I'm all in, and I've been all in for so long for this opportunity in Formula 1 to come about, but that always has a deadline, it will always have a date where it's just... 'that's enough', because it might never happen."

Meanwhile, Mario Andretti will also have to look for a second driver if he chooses O'Ward to join Cadillac. Herta and a myriad of other drivers can be in the mix to get their name in the F1 pack.