Components 1 is poised to increase its grid in 2026, with an eleventh staff set to make its debut following an settlement in precept with Normal Motors. The American automotive big is on the right track to enter the game below the Cadillac F1 banner, marking a serious milestone for each the corporate and the sequence.
After months of uncertainty surrounding Andretti’s bid for entry, it now seems that Cadillac would be the staff to deliver recent competitors to the paddock. With Normal Motors’ huge sources and fame, the transfer may have vital implications—not just for the aggressive panorama but additionally for Components 1’s continued progress in the US.
Liberty Media has already taken main steps to increase F1’s footprint in North America, including three U.S.-based races to the calendar in Austin, Miami, and Las Vegas. Together with the present rounds in Montreal and Mexico Metropolis, the presence of a full-fledged American staff would additional solidify the game’s standing within the area.
One of the urgent selections for newly appointed staff principal Graeme Lowdon might be deciding on the drivers to steer Cadillac F1 in its inaugural marketing campaign.
Mario Andretti has been vocal in his help for Colton Herta, hoping the IndyCar star can meet Cadillac’s need to have at the very least one American driver within the lineup. Nonetheless, for Colton Herta to safe a spot on the 2026 Components 1 grid, he might want to ship a standout efficiency within the 2025 IndyCar season to build up the mandatory FIA superlicence factors.
One other high-profile identify linked to Cadillac is Sergio Perez, along with his administration reportedly exploring choices for him to safe a seat. Nonetheless, an exterior issue may affect the staff’s driver selections—their technical partnership with Ferrari.
Since Normal Motors’ in-house energy unit is not going to be prepared in time for 2026, Cadillac will initially run Ferrari engines, mirroring the connection Haas has maintained with the Italian producer. This connection has already performed a vital position in Oliver Bearman securing a full-time F1 seat, and the Maranello staff could now be positioning one other rising expertise for the same alternative.
After collaborating in a current check at Barcelona, Dino Beganovic seems to be rising as a possible candidate for Cadillac’s 2026 lineup. The Swedish driver, who has progressed by means of Ferrari’s junior ranks, may comply with in Bearman’s footsteps, making his Components 1 debut by means of a Ferrari-affiliated staff.
With Cadillac’s preparations accelerating, Dino Beganovic’s trajectory might be one to look at as Ferrari doubtlessly strains up its subsequent star for a seat on the 2026 grid.
Talking on a current episode of The Race F1 Podcast, journalist Scott Mitchell-Malm shared his ideas on Dino Beganovic’s current check and the potential implications for his future. He famous that Ferrari’s buyer engine deal for the approaching years had made him contemplate a risk that had been on his thoughts for some time.
In accordance with Mitchell-Malm, Beganovic had unexpectedly emerged on Ferrari’s radar from an F1 perspective. Whereas the Swedish driver had all the time been thought-about good fairly than distinctive, his trajectory in junior classes had not marked him as a standout prospect. His Components 3 marketing campaign had been stable however by no means translated into a real title problem, and his 2024 season had been significantly troublesome, with a number of setbacks hindering his progress.
Nonetheless, Mitchell-Malm identified that Beganovic had already accomplished a big quantity of simulator work with Ferrari this 12 months. He had additionally taken half in a check at Barcelona, working on the very finish of a session by which Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc drove the 2023 Ferrari. Additional exams and Friday apply outings with the staff had been reportedly on the horizon.
Mitchell-Malm steered that Beganovic may need carried out simply sufficient to place himself on the entrance of the queue for the subsequent main Ferrari alternatives. If he carried out nicely in his F1 trials with the staff this 12 months, he could possibly be a powerful candidate for a seat at a Ferrari-powered buyer staff. Given Ferrari’s historical past of inserting younger drivers in affiliated groups, Mitchell-Malm didn’t rule out the potential of Beganovic securing a drive with Cadillac in 2026—supplied all the things aligned in his favor.
Who Is Ferrari Junior Dino Beganovic, and May He Be a Sturdy Candidate for Cadillac in 2026?
Dino Beganovic’s current ascent inside Ferrari’s ranks has come as one thing of a shock, as Scott Mitchell-Malm identified. Whereas he received’t be taking over a reserve driver position for Ferrari in 2025—positions that can as a substitute be crammed by Antonio Giovinazzi and Zhou Guanyu—his participation within the staff’s current check session in Barcelona means that Ferrari sees vital potential in him.
At 21 years previous, Beganovic competes below the Swedish flag, although he additionally holds Bosnian nationality. His reference to Ferrari dates again to early 2020, when the Scuderia introduced him into their junior program following a profitable karting profession that noticed him declare two championship titles in 2019. His first full season in single-seaters was equally spectacular, as he completed third within the Italian F4 Championship behind present Components 2 competitor Gabriele Mini.
Beganovic’s most notable achievement up to now got here in 2022 when he secured the Components Regional European Championship (FRECA) title, incomes himself a step as much as Components 3. Nonetheless, his two seasons at that degree failed to provide headline-grabbing outcomes, as he struggled to mount a critical title problem.
Regardless of this, his transition to Components 2 on the finish of 2024 confirmed promise, as he competed within the ultimate two rounds and delivered a a lot stronger impression. If he hopes to be in competition for a seat with Cadillac in 2026, nonetheless, there may be little margin for error—he’ll nearly definitely have to win the Components 2 championship this season to solidify his case for a Components 1 promotion.
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