IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe has advised the Cadillac F1 team to consider NASCAR star Connor Zilisch as its driver for its debut season in 2026. Cadillac has been having discussions with several drivers, and given Zilisch’s impressive racing background, he has been linked to the American outfit.
Cadillac’s entry into the sport was approved in March this year, and the team has been in full swing to get racing next year. However, it has yet to announce its driver lineup. The outfit has made it clear that it prefers experienced drivers, but it hasn’t entirely ruled out rookie drivers who have the potential to make a significant impact on the grid.
Former Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez and Mercedes reserve driver Valtteri Bottas have been strongly linked to Cadillac, and speculation suggests the team has shortlisted them for the next year. However, there has been no official confirmation.
Hinchcliffe named five American drivers Cadillac should talk to, with Zilisch being one of them. The 19-year-old driver has been leading the Xfinity Series in points standings in his rookie year. He secured five race wins in the last eight rounds and is on his way to winning the championship.
Linking him to Cadillac, Hinchcliffe revealed Zilisch’s racing background and highlighted his ability to dominate different kinds of circuits. He wrote on F1.com:
“Zilisch had a promising road racing career going, winning in everything from Trans-Am cars to prototypes to stock cars. Without the financial freedom to simply choose the route he wanted to go, opportunities came up in stock cars before anyone in the open wheel world took notice – and that is our loss.
“Competing full time in the Xfinity Championship in 2025 he already has three wins in the season, including his first oval victory. Given his road racing background it is incredibly impressive that he is now competitive on the types of track that a lot of the drivers he’s racing against trained on exclusively on their rise to this level.”
Hinchcliffe added that if Zilisch was given a chance to compete in Formula 2, he could be race-ready for F1 in no time. However, it remains to be seen if this fits in Cadillac’s plans. He wrote:
“And that’s really my point on Zilisch – he seems to be one of the most adaptable drivers that I’ve ever seen. Watching what he’s done so far gives me the feeling that if he was given a proper programme in an open wheel car, and a season or two of F2 to cut his teeth, he could be F1-worthy in short order. And he has the time, because despite the impressive CV he is still only 19 years old.”
While Hinchcliffe does make a strong point, the chances of Zilisch securing a full-time entry in NASCAR’s Cup Series next year are high.
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