Sebastian Vettel backs former Mercedes driver to bag “second chance” with Cadillac F1 seat in 2026

Sebastian Vettel recently shared his take on Mick Schumacher and stated that the former Mercedes driver would be a good fit for the Cadillac F1 Team. Schumacher, who has been a former Mercedes reserve driver and full-time Haas driver, boasts formidable F1 experience and could be a worthy addition to the new team.

Cadillac is all set to enter Formula 1 next year and become the second team from the United States after the Haas F1 team. As a new team, they need two drivers who are not associated or involved with the existing teams, and Schumacher is a good pick under this scenario.

Schumacher comes with two full-time season experiences with Haas as he raced with Gene Haas' owned team for the 2021 and 2022 seasons and has 43 race entries under his belt. Thanks to his experience, Sebastian Vettel thinks his younger compatriot could be a perfect choice.

"He’s now in a completely different stage," Sebastian Vettel said about Schumacher (via Fastest Pitstop on X). "He’s much more mature. And I think he’s doing a very good job at Alpine in the World Endurance Championship. It would be nice if he got a second chance with Cadillac.”

Mick Schumacher joined Haas along with Nikita Mazepin in 2021 and has raced for two years as a full-time driver. However, at the end of the 2022 season, the then-Haas boss Guenther Steiner sacked Schumacher owing to underperformance.

After his Haas stint, the German driver joined Mercedes as a reserve driver behind Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. However, at the end of 2023, he joined Alpine's Endurance team. Currently, he is racing for the same team and driving the #36 car alongside Frédéric Makowiecki and Jules Gounon.

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Sebastian Vettel-backed driver responds to Cadillac links

Sebastian Vettel-backed driver, Mick Schumacher, stated that he was in talks with the upcoming new F1 team, Cadillac. Here's what he said about his talks with the 11th outfit in Formula 1 (via Daily Sabah):

"So far, the communication has been very positive. It’s an honor to be part of it, to negotiate with them, and a great position to be in."

The #36 Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424 of Jules Gounon, Frederic Makowiecki, and Mick Schumacher in action during the Six Hours of Sao Paulo at Autodromo de Interlagos on July 13, 2025, in Sao Paulo, Brazil - Source: Getty

However, the Cadillac F1 Team is also in talks with former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez and current Mercedes reserve driver Valtteri Bottas. Besides them, the team was also linked with Daniel Ricciardo, but those rumors quickly died down.

It will be intriguing to see if Michael Schumacher's son lands a seat in Formula 1 and makes a gala return to the highest echelon of open-wheel racing. The Cadillac F1 team is expected to announce two of its drivers before the end of this season.

Edited by Riddhiman Sarkar