Michael Andretti names two IndyCar drivers he’d sign ‘in a heartbeat’ for Andretti-Cadillac F1 team

Michael Andretti is eager to bring talent from IndyCar to F1 with Andretti-Cadillac.

Michael Andretti names two IndyCar drivers he’d sign ‘in a heartbeat’ for Andretti-Cadillac F1 team

Michael Andretti (image via 24h-lemans.com), Alex Palou (image via The Race)

Michael Andretti has been working on plans to enter his own team in Formula 1. The former CART champion has submitted the Andretti F1 bid with the support of General Motors through the Cadillac brand. The all-American outfit is eager to bring a driver from the United States into its line-up. Now, Andretti has revealed the drivers from IndyCar who are on his list.

The former F1 driver claimed that Alex Palou and Colton Herta are the two prime targets for his future team if it gets the go-ahead. The 60-year-old believed that both drivers were ready to compete at the pinnacle of motorsport. Michael Andretti insisted that he’d be ready to sign them instantly. He said, “I have not the slightest doubt that Alex [Palou] or Colton [Herta] are ready for Formula 1. They have high potential. I’d put both of them in a Formula 1 car in a heartbeat.”

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The 60-year-old even highlighted the fact that Herta previously was teammates with McLaren’s Lando Norris in British Formula 4. Andretti stated, “I’m sure they can keep up. Lando [Norris] was once Colton’s team-mate and they were on the same level. If you look at Lando in Formula 1 now, you know what Colton could do as well.”

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Palou and Herta have been on the F1 radar for some time now. Alex Palou presently serves as the reserve driver for McLaren’s F1 team alongside his IndyCar career. While Colton Herta came close to making his F1 debut with AlphaTauri this season. Unfortunately, the American driver failed to procure enough points to obtain an FIA Super License to race in Formula 1.

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Michael Andretti’s F1 team awaits confirmation from the FIA

Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Michael Andretti on the F1 grid (image via FormulaNews.co.uk)
Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Michael Andretti on the F1 grid (image via FormulaNews.co.uk)

FIA opened the bids for new teams on the grid earlier this year. Andretti-Cadillac is one of the few projects that have submitted their proposals to join the grid in 2025 or 2026. The other proposed teams include Hitech GP, Formula Equal, and LKY SUNZ. However, the existing teams as well as F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali have questioned the need for the addition of new teams in F1.

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has persisted in bringing new teams to the sport. Ben Sulayem has previously mentioned that the team evaluation process is in the final stages with an announcement to come in the coming months. Andretti-Cadillac seems to be the prime candidate in the running with the backing of a manufacturer like General Motors boosting Michael Andretti’s bid. Albeit Cadillac will not be making the power units for the team at least in the initial years.

Thus, Michael Andretti has his eyes set on Alex Palou and Colton Herta for Andretti-Cadillac. The two IndyCar drivers have showcased their talent in the United States and have been linked to F1 drives in the past as well. As such, Andretti’s interest in the two young talents is no surprise. Although, it remains to be seen if Andretti-Cadillac gets to enter Formula 1 in the first place.

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