A new contender has surfaced for one of Cadillac's two Formula 1 race seats in 2026, with Danish driver Frederik Vesti gaining momentum in the paddock.
Speculation initially swirled in Miami around former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez, whose billionaire sponsor Carlos Slim also attended the event, fuelling talk of a potential deal with F1's incoming eleventh team.
Perez has also been linked with Alpine for 2026. Days later, Mick Schumacher added his name to the mix, as it emerged that he had attended Cadillac's F1 brand identity launch.
Now, Frederik Vesti has emerged as a serious candidate.
The 23-year-old Dane, known as a Mercedes reserve driver, was actively engaged during the Miami weekend. He worked overnight in Mercedes' Brackley simulator from Friday at 10pm to Saturday at 6am before flying to the Miami paddock for the race, according to Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet.
Vesti explained: "It made a lot of sense for me to be there. Because it's in the paddock that everything happens. Being able to shake hands with some important people and say hello to them might decide your future. It's a long trip, obviously, but right now it's about giving it 100 percent gas if there's a chance for a seat."
Vesti's candidacy is bolstered by his existing ties to Cadillac, racing for the General Motors-owned brand in the IMSA SportsCar Championship.
Managed by Dorte Riis Madsen, who guided much of Kevin Magnussen's F1 career, Vesti is open about his ambitions. "The Cadillac team is quite special," he said.
"It's a completely new team, and there are a lot of things that need to be developed. So they need people who have Formula 1 experience. I also drive for Cadillac in a hypercar, and when we made that agreement, we of course hoped that Cadillac would enter Formula 1."
Vesti confirmed he has been in regular contact with Cadillac's new team principal, Graeme Lowdon. "We are in close contact with him," he revealed.
"There is still uncertainty about which direction they are going in relation to drivers. So the most important thing is to stay in touch and continue to present who I am as a driver and what I can do."
