Which drivers should GM sign for F1 2026? 10 early options
General Motors appear set to become F1’s 11th team in 2026 - but who will drive for them?
With General Motors on course to enter F1 from 2026, two more seats would open up on the grid.
General Motors, along with its Cadillac brand, appear set to become the world championship’s 11th team in just over a year’s time after reaching an agreement in principle with F1, announced on Monday.
That leaves the question, who could drive for the American car giant in 2026?
If General Motors wanted an experienced grand prix driver in at least one of their cars, Valtteri Bottas would be a standout option.
The 10-time grand prix winner looks set to become Mercedes’ reserve driver in 2025 after losing his Sauber seat, but the 35-year-old Finn does not plan to stay in a part-time capacity.
Bottas would jump at the opportunity to return to a race seat, and the appeal of the exciting General Motors-Cadillac project would surely prove attractive.
Another experienced option could be found in Kevin Magnussen, who like Bottas, is without a drive on the F1 2025 grid.
Regarded as something of a midfield specialist, the Dane, 32, has been a consistent performer and points scorer for American outfit Haas since originally joining the team in 2017.
An interesting and exciting option for General Motors is Yuki Tsunoda.
Tsunoda has been overlooked by Red Bull and appears destined to never get a shot at the senior team despite outperforming teammates like the now-axed Daniel Ricciardo, who could also be a left-field, yet unlikely option for General Motors.
The 24-year-old Japanese driver is under contract at Red Bull’s sister team RB until the end of 2025 - when he will have a huge decision to make.
Should he continue to not be taken seriously by Red Bull, Tsunoda may well opt to leave the family altogether. If he did, General Motors could offer him a landing spot, particularly if they picked Honda to be their interim engine supplier.
Honda will also power Aston Martin from 2026, so General Motors could find themselves in a multi-way tussle to secure Tsunoda’s services.
Another, younger, option for General Motors is Franco Colapinto. Having gone fairly under-the-radar in Formula 2, the 21-year-old Argentinian has become an overnight sensation in F1.
Replacing the sacked Logan Sargeant at Williams for the second half of the 2024 campaign, Colapinto has caught the eye with several impressive performances.
He has given highly-rated teammate Alex Albon a run for his money and added five crucial points to Williams’ tally in the all-important constructors’ championship.
In his incredibly short stint in F1, Colapinto has shown more than enough to suggest he would be deserving of a full-time spot on the grid - something he currently does not have for 2025 or beyond.
If General Motors want an American driver, there are some interesting candidates.
With Sargeant deemed not good enough by Williams, it would be a surprise if General Motors favoured giving him another chance.
Colton Herta has been linked with a possible F1 switch for several years, but has been burned by having a lack of super licence points, which ruined his chances of potentially joining Red Bull's stable. He was also immediately linked to the initial Andretti Global bid.
The 24-year-old Californian is fast and has built a superstar reputation in IndyCar, coming on leaps and bounds since becoming the youngest person to ever win a race in the series in 2019.
Herta has gone on to rack up eight further wins and has just enjoyed his most competitive season in IndyCar to date, finishing runner-up in the 2024 championship.
There are two even younger American rising stars General Motors could turn to: F2’s Jak Crawford (19) and Macau Grand Prix winner and McLaren junior Ugo Ugochukwu (17). However, 2026 may come a little too soon for a step up to F1 for the pair.
Alex Palou, who has found plenty of success in IndyCar, winning three championships in the space of four years, could be a candidate, having previously been linked to the soon-to-be Audi team and other prospective F1 ventures.
Another IndyCar star, Pato O’Ward, has already had a taste of F1 machinery thanks to his reserve driver role with McLaren, having taken part in several FP1 runs.
The 2018 Indy Lights champion and seven-time IndyCar race-winner also has a direct link to General Motors through his current ties with Chevrolet.
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