Cadillac will debut on the Formula 1 grid in 2026, having announced its driver line-up recently. They have signed up experienced drivers Sergio “Checo” Perez, who was with Red Bull before a mutually agreed contract termination, and Valtteri Bottas, who was announced as a Mercedes Reserve Driver for 2025. They are currently on multi-year deals, marking their remarkable return to the tracks. However, before the driver’s official announcement, rumors swirled about Daniel Ricciardo’s potentially joining Cadillac. For context, Ricciardo’s F1 career ended after the Singapore Grand Prix due to performance issues. He ended up finishing the race for Racing Bulls in 18th position. His contract was terminated, and he was replaced by Liam Lawson. With Cadillac’s entrance into the racing scene, many expected his return, but Ricciardo had already addressed the rumors and revealed that he’s done with F1. Here’s all you need to know about the whole Cadillac x Ricciardo scenario and the truth.
Why Didn’t Daniel Ricciardo Join Cadillac?
Although rumors did circulate about a potential Ricciardo x Cadillac for F1 2026, the former later set the record straight on not wanting to return to any team or F1. Last year in December, a fan approached Ricciardo for an autograph, followed by asking a question of whether he could return with Cadillac in 2026. To this, the former Racing Bulls driver replied, “No, I’m done.”
This year, he attended a round at the Buckmore event, where he addressed what he’s up to after retiring from racing. He said, “All good!I’m just enjoying some life in the slow lane. I mean, it sounds weird saying like retirement when I’m 35 years old, but retirement from at least the world I was living in. It’s cool.” Reflecting on his racing career and being back at the go-karting tracks, he added, “To be at the kart track… it’s my first time at a race track since I guess Singapore, so quite a few months now. But it’s cool to see the kids… this is why I started karting…”
He also talked about friendships on go-karting tracks and how he liked revisiting the roots, which got his notable career started. “I’ve had photos with groups of the kids and I can tell the friendships they have, and these friendships will last a lifetime a lot of them. My best friend to this day was a friend that I raced karts with. It’s nice to be back at like the grassroots of it and the most pure form of racing,” he elaborated.
On the other hand, Cadillac’s team principal, Graeme Lowdon, was asked about his ongoing discussions with potential parties to fill in the driver’s seat during the High Performance Podcast by Jake Humphrey. During the conversation, he also ruled out the possibility of Ricciardo joining in, given that he had already expressed his disinterest in returning to the sport. He explained, “I think he has publicly said that he is not interested in Formula 1. It is not my job that if I need to convince someone, then it is the wrong person.”
Adding up to the conversation, he said, “You never need to convince a Formula 1 driver to jump in the car, and everyone can make their own mind up, but I would definitely not [want to convince someone to return].”
With Cadillac’s drivers already locked in, it remains to be seen what impact they can make on the grid against established teams like McLaren, who have been dominating this season.
