Formulation 1 is poised to increase its grid in 2026, with an eleventh workforce set to make its debut following an settlement in precept with Basic Motors. The American automotive big is on target to enter the game below the Cadillac F1 banner, marking a serious milestone for each the corporate and the collection.
After months of uncertainty surrounding Andretti’s bid for entry, it now seems that Cadillac would be the workforce to convey contemporary competitors to the paddock. With Basic Motors’ huge assets and status, the transfer may have vital implications—not just for the aggressive panorama but additionally for Formulation 1’s continued development 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 workforce would additional solidify the game’s standing within the area.
Some of the urgent choices for newly appointed workforce principal Graeme Lowdon will probably be choosing the drivers to guide 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 least one American driver within the lineup. Nevertheless, for Colton Herta to safe a spot on the 2026 Formulation 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 title linked to Cadillac is Sergio Perez, along with his administration reportedly exploring choices for him to safe a seat. Nevertheless, an exterior issue may affect the workforce’s driver selections—their technical partnership with Ferrari.
Since Basic Motors’ in-house energy unit won’t 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 an important function in Oliver Bearman securing a full-time F1 seat, and the Maranello workforce might now be positioning one other rising expertise for the same alternative.
After collaborating in a latest 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 way of Ferrari’s junior ranks, may comply with in Bearman’s footsteps, making his Formulation 1 debut by way of a Ferrari-affiliated workforce.
With Cadillac’s preparations accelerating, Dino Beganovic’s trajectory will probably be one to look at as Ferrari doubtlessly strains up its subsequent star for a seat on the 2026 grid.
Talking on a latest episode of The Race F1 Podcast, journalist Scott Mitchell-Malm shared his ideas on Dino Beganovic’s latest check and the potential implications for his future. He famous that Ferrari’s buyer engine deal for the approaching years had made him think about a chance that had been on his thoughts for some time.
In line 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 Formulation 3 marketing campaign had been strong however by no means translated into a real title problem, and his 2024 season had been notably tough, with a number of setbacks hindering his progress.
Nevertheless, Mitchell-Malm identified that Beganovic had already accomplished a major 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 wherein Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc drove the 2023 Ferrari. Additional exams and Friday observe outings with the workforce had been reportedly on the horizon.
Mitchell-Malm steered that Beganovic may need completed 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 workforce this 12 months, he might be a robust candidate for a seat at a Ferrari-powered buyer workforce. Given Ferrari’s historical past of putting younger drivers in affiliated groups, Mitchell-Malm didn’t rule out the potential for Beganovic securing a drive with Cadillac in 2026—offered every little thing aligned in his favor.
Who Is Ferrari Junior Dino Beganovic, and Might He Be a Robust Candidate for Cadillac in 2026?
Dino Beganovic’s latest ascent inside Ferrari’s ranks has come as one thing of a shock, as Scott Mitchell-Malm identified. Whereas he gained’t be taking over a reserve driver function for Ferrari in 2025—positions that can as a substitute be stuffed by Antonio Giovinazzi and Zhou Guanyu—his participation within the workforce’s latest 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 Formulation 2 competitor Gabriele Mini.
Beganovic’s most notable achievement so far got here in 2022 when he secured the Formulation Regional European Championship (FRECA) title, incomes himself a step as much as Formulation 3. Nevertheless, his two seasons at that stage failed to provide headline-grabbing outcomes, as he struggled to mount a severe title problem.
Regardless of this, his transition to Formulation 2 on the finish of 2024 confirmed promise, as he competed within the last two rounds and delivered a a lot stronger impression. If he hopes to be in rivalry for a seat with Cadillac in 2026, nevertheless, there may be little margin for error—he’ll virtually actually must win the Formulation 2 championship this season to solidify his case for a Formulation 1 promotion.
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