Marcus Ericsson is assisting the Cadillac F1 project (Image: Getty)
Former driver Marcus Ericsson is contributing to the F1 programme, working to test different simulator models behind the scenes. The American constructor will become the 11th team on the grid in 2026.
Ericsson’s F1 career ended abruptly in 2019 after Sauber opted to replace him with junior driver Antonio Giovinazzi. After joining from Caterham, the Swedish racer spent four years with the Hinwil-based team but ended three of his five seasons in the series without a point to his name.
After leaving F1, Ericsson moved across the pond, joining Schmidt Peterson Motorsports for the 2019 IndyCar campaign. He was then snapped up by Chip Ganassi Racing, where he stayed for four years before switching to Andretti Global last year.
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Ericsson’s Andretti switch was ill-fated regarding on-track performances, finishing 15th in the standings last season after three consecutive P6 finishes. Still, the 2022 Indy500 champion is enjoying a unique perk of the job.
“My employer, Andretti, has asked me to fly to England to test different simulators,” he explained. “I will provide feedback so they can choose the right model for the whole organisation, including Formula One, IndyCar, and sports cars.
“Simulators have become an integral part of motorsport, and I’ve been working on improving my own use over the winter. It’s great that they want to use me and my experience to help.”
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Colton Herta is the standout candidate for a Cadillac F1 seat (Image: Getty)
While Ericsson is involved in the project behind the scenes, the 31-year-old will not be in contention for a full-time drive with Cadillac in 2026. Instead, a different IndyCar driver is the frontrunner to move into F1, with Colton Herta considered the favourite for the seat.
“From the beginning of this project, the team always looked at the prospect of Colton Herta to be one of the drivers,” Mario Andretti told . “As far as I know, this is something we had not discussed lately because there’s time. That still remains a priority.
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“I’m sure that’s the direction he would like to go. He trained there, he raced alongside the likes of, just to say one, , who is obviously very prominent now with , and so, he is from that era, if you will, still young and vibrant and ready to go.”
If Colta does get the nod to become F1’s latest American star, he could be joined by a driver with recent F1 experience. Valtteri Bottas and are the two leading contenders from the current free agent crop after leaving Sauber and at the end of the 204 campaign.