Components 1 is poised to develop its grid in 2026, with an eleventh group set to make its debut following an settlement in precept with Normal Motors. The American automotive large is heading in the right direction to enter the game below the Cadillac F1 banner, marking a significant 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 group to convey recent competitors to the paddock. With Normal Motors’ huge sources and fame, the transfer may have important implications—not just for the aggressive panorama but additionally for Components 1’s continued development in the USA.
Liberty Media has already taken main steps to develop 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 group would additional solidify the game’s standing within the area.
Probably the most urgent choices for newly appointed group principal Graeme Lowdon will likely be deciding on the drivers to guide Cadillac F1 in its inaugural marketing campaign.
Mario Andretti has been vocal in his assist for Colton Herta, hoping the IndyCar star can meet Cadillac’s need to have not less than 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 required 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. Nonetheless, an exterior issue may affect the group’s driver selections—their technical partnership with Ferrari.
Since Normal 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 a vital position in Oliver Bearman securing a full-time F1 seat, and the Maranello group could 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 Components 1 debut by way of a Ferrari-affiliated group.
With Cadillac’s preparations accelerating, Dino Beganovic’s trajectory will likely be one to look at as Ferrari doubtlessly traces 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 take into account a risk that had been on his thoughts for some time.
In keeping with Mitchell-Malm, Beganovic had unexpectedly emerged on Ferrari’s radar from an F1 perspective. Whereas the Swedish driver had at all times been thought of 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, operating on the very finish of a session by which Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc drove the 2023 Ferrari. Additional checks and Friday observe outings with the group have been reportedly on the horizon.
Mitchell-Malm recommended that Beganovic might 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 group this 12 months, he could possibly be a powerful candidate for a seat at a Ferrari-powered buyer group. Given Ferrari’s historical past of inserting younger drivers in affiliated groups, Mitchell-Malm didn’t rule out the potential for Beganovic securing a drive with Cadillac in 2026—offered all the pieces aligned in his favor.
Who Is Ferrari Junior Dino Beganovic, and May He Be a Sturdy 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 received’t be taking up a reserve driver position for Ferrari in 2025—positions that may as an alternative be crammed by Antonio Giovinazzi and Zhou Guanyu—his participation within the group’s latest check session in Barcelona means that Ferrari sees important potential in him.
At 21 years outdated, 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 so far 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 supply headline-grabbing outcomes, as he struggled to mount a severe 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 rivalry for a seat with Cadillac in 2026, nonetheless, there’s little margin for error—he’ll virtually definitely must win the Components 2 championship this season to solidify his case for a Components 1 promotion.
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