It feels like we've been waiting all year — because we have — for Cadillac to announce its maiden driver lineup before they join the grid as Formula 1's 11th team, and it seems increasingly like it's a three-horse race for the two seats between Ex-Red Bull driver Sergio Perez, current Mercedes reserve driver Valtteri Bottas, and Alpine sports car driver and former Haas F1 driver Mick Schumacher.
However, thanks to a stellar season in F2, we might have a dark horse candidate emerging in American driver Jak Crawford.
With just six race weekends left on the F2 schedule, Crawford is six points behind Richard Verschoor for the championship lead, and that kind of performance is going to get him a lot of attention around the paddock, seeing as F2 is the primary feeder series to F1.
But Crawford hails from Charlotte, North Carolina, and Cadillac has been known to have an interest in fielding at least one American driver.
Crawford is increasingly looking like the best option on this front. There aren't many American drivers with the required FIA Super License. For instance, IndyCar driver Colton Herta has always been rumored as an option for the team, but for him to get enough Super License points to be eligible for F1, he'd need to finish this season at least fourth in the standings.
With four races left, he's currently eighth.
"You know, it's hard to tell what they want," Crawford said during an appearance on ESPN's Unlapped podcast. "I've heard that they want an American driver in the seat at some point.
"I think looking at it from my side, if I was to win the championship in F2 or finish very high, I feel like it would almost be a missed opportunity to not have an American driver in the seat," he continued. "Of course, at the beginning maybe [for Cadillac] it's not ideal ... but obviously speaking for me, that's how I see it."
So, is Crawford a good choice for Cadillac?
Maybe, but not in their first season.
There is arguably no harder sport to be a rookie in than Formula 1, thanks to the intense pressure and the limited amount of track time there is.
This is tough in any season, but since 2026 will see an overhaul in regulations, teams will want to get on top of developing their cars as soon as possible, and that will be easier with a driver who is already very familiar with F1 machinery.
This makes development a challenge, and it should be a huge focus for Cadillac during the 2026 season because the season will see a big overhaul in regulations, which will likely shake up the running order.
Drivers like Perez and Bottas already know what it's like to drive a championship-contending car as well as a car that's a total mess, and that knowledge will go a long way as the team develops its first car throughout the season.
More than a quarter of the grid is made up of rookie drivers, but teams have about as good an understanding of these regulations as they will have, which puts less pressure on the drivers and lets them focus on gaining F1 experience.
It wouldn't be impossible for Crawford to balance a rookie season with giving the team the feedback they need to develop a competitive car, but it would be a riskier move than just signing Bottas, Perez, or Schumacher.
However, it's worth noting that the Crawford is very much on the radar, considering he recently took part in a Formula E rookie test with Andretti Global. That team is owned by TWG Global, which also owns the Cadillac F1 team.
While I'm not sure if he's a great fit for the inaugural lineup, given that Crawford is just 20, he could be a great option for the team as a reserve driver and for some practice sessions.
After that, maybe he ends up in a Cadillac in a couple of years, or perhaps his strong F2 performance earns him a seat elsewhere on the grid.
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