Formula 1 has announced that it has struck a provisional deal with Cadillac, a sub-brand of General Motors, to join the grid as a team in 2026. Plenty of details are still to come — including the potential driver lineup.

As the excitement builds, we’ve selected five drivers that we’d love to see get a shot behind the wheel of a Cadillac-entered Formula 1 team.

The experienced hand: Daniel Ricciardo

Any new Formula 1 team would benefit from some experienced talent at the wheel — a driver who has been around the block, who knows what it takes to compete in the sport, and ideally, one who knows what a top team should look like. One man stands out: Daniel Ricciardo.

Now, say what you will about Ricciardo’s history in F1, but the Aussie racer has experienced the highs and lows of the series, and he’s also a fan-favorite driver in the United States. His presence on the Cadillac F1 team may not necessarily be a recipe for an instant World Championship, but it’d certainly kick things off on the right foot.

The rising US star: Jak Crawford

When Andretti Global announced its intentions to join Formula 1, it insisted that it wanted to be an all-American affair: An American team with American power units and American drivers. While it’s not clear  if that goal remains now that Michael Andretti has stepped back from the team, we’d still like to see Cadillac bring an American into the fold. And there’s no better American driver for the task than Jak Crawford.

Crawford has been climbing the junior ladder for the past several years, first inking a deal with the Red Bull junior program before swapping to Aston Martin. He’s had a chance to test F1 machinery, and he’s seen how a team works from the inside. If Cadillac is looking to take a chance on a rising star, Crawford is an easy choice.

More on the Andretti Global saga:

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The all-star American: Colton Herta

When Andretti Global first started talking about entering F1, one driver’s name was instantly associated with the team: Colton Herta.

The young Californian driver has been ever so close to the Formula 1 universe for years, but a lack of super license points has prevented him from actually making his international open-wheel dreams come true.

But Cadillac F1’s prospective 2026 entry date means Herta can actively pursue super license points should he aim to join the outfit. Entries in Formula Regional championships paired with some FP1 sessions and a clean IndyCar season could easily make Herta a possibility.

The US fan favourite: Pato O’Ward

Speaking of IndyCar drivers looking to join Formula 1, let’s throw Pato O’Ward’s name into the ring.

Like Herta, O’Ward has been dancing around the outskirts of Formula 1 for quite some time. Back in 2019, he joined the Red Bull junior program ever so briefly, with the intention of joining F1 — only for the FIA to determine that his Indy Lights championship would not be worth the adequate amount of super license points.

O’Ward leapt back into IndyCar, where his incredible pace has brought him seven wins, 26 podiums, and several near-misses at big events like the Indy 500. Since he partnered with McLaren in 2020, O’Ward has competed in a handful of FP1 sessions and has shown consistent improvement. And, his current ties with Chevrolet mean he has a direct line to GM to advocate for himself.

The curveball: Franco Colapinto

Let’s say Cadillac wants a driver with some Formula 1 experience, but also a driver still in the early phase of his career. That driver would have needed to make a strong impact in the races he had contested, but he’d also need to be a free agent.

That driver very well could be Franco Colapinto.

The Argentine racer will end the 2024 season with just a handful of F1 starts under his belt, and right now, it looks as though he’ll be a free agent in the future. While we can hope that 2026 brings him a seat, many current F1 teams have already signed multi-year deals with their drivers. And that could leave a prime space open for Colapinto at Cadillac.

Read next: Four reasons why GM’s huge F1 arrival makes so much sense