Cadillac will use Ferrari energy items for the 2026 and 2027 Components 1 seasons earlier than transitioning right into a works workforce with their very own engines in 2028.
The American automaker, set to turn into F1’s eleventh workforce, marks Common Motors’ bold entry into the game after taking up the failed Andretti bid. The settlement with Ferrari ensures Cadillac can have aggressive engines as they set up their footing in Components 1. This two-year partnership permits GM the time wanted to develop their in-house energy items, that are anticipated to debut in 2028.
Hypothesis about Cadillac’s inaugural driver lineup is already circulating. Mario Andretti, who has been a vocal advocate for the undertaking, envisions pairing a younger American driver with a seasoned veteran. Nonetheless, Ferrari’s involvement within the workforce’s engine provide may open the door for one in every of their junior drivers to safe a seat, gaining useful F1 expertise in the course of the partnership.
Right here’s a take a look at three Ferrari Driver Academy abilities who may discover their approach right into a Cadillac seat within the coming years:
Dino Beganovic
Dino Beganovic has been a standout performer since becoming a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2020. The Swedish driver claimed the FRECA title in 2022 earlier than transferring to Components 3, the place he secured sixth place within the standings in his debut season with 4 podium finishes. In 2024, he repeated that end result however added two victories and a pole place to his title, holding his championship hopes alive till the ultimate rounds at Monza.
After the F3 season, Dino Beganovic impressed additional by entering into Components 2, changing Juan Manuel Correa at DAMS for the ultimate two rounds. Regardless of the restricted preparation, he tailored shortly, scoring factors in each race and incomes a podium end within the Abu Dhabi Dash Race.
Beganovic will race full-time in F2 with Hitech in 2025, aiming to construct on his spectacular momentum. If the 20-year-old delivers one other sturdy season, his mixture of pace and flexibility may make him a perfect candidate for a spot at Cadillac beneath Ferrari’s steerage.
Tuukka Taponen
With the departure of Valtteri Bottas from Sauber on the finish of 2024, Finland is at the moment unrepresented on the F1 grid. Nonetheless, Ferrari might have the subsequent Finnish star in Tuukka Taponen. The 18-year-old showcased his potential in 2024 by profitable the Components Regional Center East Championship and ending third in FRECA, amassing 9 wins and 16 podiums throughout each sequence.
In 2025, Taponen will step as much as Components 3 with ART Grand Prix, marking a big stage in his improvement. Though he has a protracted journey forward, his constant performances point out that he may ultimately observe within the footsteps of Finnish F1 champions like Keke Rosberg and Kimi Räikkönen. If Taponen continues his trajectory and achieves standout ends in the junior classes, he could possibly be a robust contender for an F1 debut by 2027, coinciding with the ultimate 12 months of Ferrari’s partnership with Cadillac.
Arthur Leclerc
Components 1 hasn’t witnessed brothers competing on the identical grid since Michael and Ralf Schumacher raced collectively, a streak that ended when Michael briefly retired in 2006. Cadillac may have an opportunity to rewrite historical past by giving Arthur Leclerc, the youthful brother of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, a chance to affix the workforce.
Arthur’s racing journey has intently mirrored his older brother’s, starting together with his entry into the Sauber Academy in 2019 earlier than transitioning to Ferrari’s driver improvement program the next 12 months. Whereas Charles established himself as a star driver for Ferrari after progressing from Sauber, Arthur has steadily labored his approach by way of the junior racing classes and into the realm of Components 1 testing.
Arthur achieved a singular milestone in Abu Dhabi when he took half in FP1 alongside Charles, marking the primary occasion in F1 historical past the place brothers participated as teammates throughout a session. This second highlighted his rising presence in Ferrari’s plans, even when his street to F1 has been much less easy than his brother’s.
The 24-year-old has had a various profession to this point. In Components 2, he completed fifteenth within the 2023 standings, however this 12 months he shifted focus to endurance racing, the place he clinched the Italian GT European Championship within the GT3 class. Whereas his performances in single-seaters have been blended, his adaptability and up to date achievements in GT racing reveal his capacity to compete at a excessive degree.
Arthur’s present function as Ferrari’s improvement driver has additionally supplied him with useful expertise in F1 equipment. Common simulator work and on-track mileage are sharpening his expertise, giving him a robust basis for a possible F1 debut. If Cadillac had been to think about him as a driver within the coming seasons, they might capitalize on his rising familiarity with Ferrari-powered vehicles and his growing consolation in high-pressure racing environments.
Ought to this chance come up, it might be a momentous occasion for Components 1, not simply due to the historic nature of two brothers racing collectively, but in addition as a result of potential for a singular synergy between Ferrari and Cadillac. With continued improvement and mileage, Arthur Leclerc may simply show to be the precise candidate to tackle this historic problem.
The Ferrari-Cadillac Synergy
This collaboration between Ferrari and Cadillac not solely gives the American workforce with top-tier energy items for his or her early seasons but in addition affords Ferrari a useful alternative to develop their junior drivers. Ought to Beganovic, Taponen, or one other Ferrari protégé show their price within the junior classes, the partnership may function a launchpad for his or her F1 careers.
Whereas GM’s long-term purpose is to determine Cadillac as a totally impartial works workforce, their preliminary reliance on Ferrari engines may pave the way in which for a mutually helpful relationship. For Ferrari, it’s an opportunity to combine their rising stars into Components 1, whereas Cadillac positive factors entry to a pool of younger, aggressive expertise as they construct their future on the grid.
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