The Formula One driver market is about to enter the highest point of the ‘silly season’, with the latest developments including Carlos Sainz refusing a new contract from Williams. This almost certainly means the driver has an option nailed down elsewhere.
Despite rumors that Max Verstappen may walk from Red Bull Racing, his decision may not come until October. So Sainz’s options must be elsewhere. Meanwhile, Cadillac’s Sergio Pérez has been linked with a move to Williams, having endured a start-up season full of errors with the all-new US-owned team.
Cadillac’s Driver Lineup: Dan Towriss Weighs In
Cadillac’s CEO Dan Towriss left wriggle room for a change in his team’s driver lineup, although he rejected the notion that the team may be looking at Ferrari junior Rafael Câmara:
“We’ve got two experienced drivers that we’re very happy with, that are pushing the team, and will continue to push them. I’ll throw the caveat, though. It’s Formula 1. Things can always change. There are no changes planned at the moment for ’27, but things can always change. I know there have been some of the rumors out there with some of the young drivers. They’re not substantiated, so that’s not something I would focus on. So we’re not focused on that at the moment.”
In terms of retaining a driver, Towriss chose to highlight the contribution Sergio Pérez has been bringing to the Cadillac team:
“Checo’s been a tremendous asset to the team. He’s driven very well and certainly has pushed quite hard. I’m very confident that Checo is going to remain with Cadillac, and we’re not distracted by the Williams rumors for a second. We’re very confident in the relationship here and that you’re going to see him piloting the Cadillac F1 car.”
Cadillac unceremoniously dismissed their team principal, Graham Lowden, this week, and the manner of the change has raised questions as to the harmony behind the scenes at F1’s newest team. As Aston Martin has done previously with Mike Krack and Andy Cowell, they could have repurposed Lowden in some other role—but didn’t.
The Colton Herta Super License Puzzle
Were Pérez to leave, then Cadillac would undoubtedly retain Valtteri Bottas; however, should the Mexican driver stay, that’s a completely different proposition for the team. Cadillac is currently supporting Californian-born racing driver Colton Herta in an F2 campaign designed to deliver the five points he requires for an F1 super license.
However, the Hitech team for whom Herta is racing is having a shocking season down in the bottom four F2 teams. Colton himself is buried down in 16th place with little hope of the P8 in the final standings he requires to ensure the six points needed to hit the magic 40 for an F1 super license.
Coming into the 2026 season, Herta had 35 qualifying points, but one drops off this year. He has four FP1 outings planned for Cadillac F1 and, so long as each completes at least 100km, they will accrue him a point each.
The Californian could have earned another two points for completing a season without any penalty points on his F2 license. However, misunderstanding the safety car protocols in his first F2 race saw Herta punished by the stewards. The biggest threat to Bottas must be Colton Herta, who was identified by Mario Andretti as a prospect for the team during their application to the FIA.
Is Bottas’s Time Running Out at Cadillac?
Should the Cadillac team schedule a further two FP1 sessions for the young Californian, the writing will be on the wall for the much-liked Finn.
A young driver is allowed to accrue up to ten super license points across a three-year period, so the extra two Herta requires can easily be arranged by Cadillac. Should Cadillac fail to facilitate Herta’s F1 super license, his future in European racing would be uncertain.
Next year, a significant number of points again fall away from Herta’s accreditation, such that he would have to make the top three in F2. While this may be possible for Colton, he surely would simply choose to return to the much higher level of IndyCar racing rather than scrabble around with the kids in F2.
Haas and the Unsettled Grid
One driver most uncertain of his future is Esteban Ocon. The Frenchman is being hammered by his junior teammate Ollie Bearman. The young British driver has scored 18 of Haas F1’s 21 points this year, and the head-to-head with his teammate favors Bearman 8-3 in qualifying and 7-4 in positions finished.
Reports that Ocon and Haas F1 team boss Ayao Komatsu had fallen out at the Miami Grand Prix emerged, suggesting that the French driver would be given his marching orders at the end of the season.
Ocon slammed the reports as fabricated, while Komatsu appeared to support his driver, claiming the rumors were sourced from comments, mistranslations, and social media speculation. Since then, no further leaks have come from the Haas F1 team over the matter.
Piastri, Verstappen, and the First Domino
Other, more bizarre transfer rumors have surrounded Oscar Piastri leaving McLaren to make way for Max Verstappen. To date, McLaren’s CEO Zak Brown has denied there will be any change in his driver lineup for 2027, although Piastri’s star has fallen from its high point a year ago.
Lando Norris is again dominating his Australian teammate, who is 36 points behind the world champion on a meager 92. Piastri blew a 34-point lead over his teammate in the chase to be world champion last season.
He again looks iffy at select circuits where the grip is low, as was evident in Barcelona, where he finished some 35 seconds behind Lando Norris. Piastri, like George Russell, has admitted to struggling in low-grip scenarios, which merely shouts to the team: “I’m not as adaptable as my teammate.”
The pressure does appear to be building on the young Australian, whose mild manner was lost during the recent race in Budapest. As his teammate was offering a masterclass in how to win a Grand Prix, Piastri was falling further and further behind. When being given advice from his race engineer Tom Stallard over team radio, Piastri unusually snapped back: “Don’t talk to me now!”
The first domino to fall will trigger a number of driver moves for 2027, and with Sainz now known to have refused a contract with Williams, someone else has an announcement to make first
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The Judge, a nom de plume of an experienced F1 journalist and site founder with long-standing sources across the paddock. With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
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