Cadillac has American talent and former McLaren junior on its radar

Cadillac has never hidden its desire to see an American behind the wheel of one of its F1 cars. Colton Herta has long been seen (and still is?) as the potential replacement for Sergio Perez or Valtteri Bottas.

However, the former IndyCar driver has made little impression in Formula 2 this season. Given his disappointing performances, Herta does not appear likely to secure the super licence required to race in Formula 1.

As the reigning Formula 3 champion, Ugochukwu does have enough points for a super licence. Moreover, the tall 19-year-old demonstrated last year that he is a big talent. He finished on the podium seven times, including two wins. Red Bull Racing had been keeping an eye on Ugochukwu, but Cadillac now appears more likely to sign the American.

Ugochukwu is among the motorsport talents who caught the attention of Formula 1 teams at an early age. The New York native joined McLaren’s development programme in 2021, at the age of 13. This followed a successful spell in karting, during which he won the European title in the OK-Junior class, among other achievements.

His transition to single-seaters was just as successful. In 2023, Ugochukwu won the Euro 4 Championship. A year later, he claimed his most notable victory to date at the prestigious Macau Grand Prix.

In 2025, Ugochukwu made his Formula 3 debut with Prema Racing. Despite high expectations, he struggled in his first year, finishing just 16th in the championship. After last season, McLaren decided to part ways with the youngster.

Without an F1 team's backing, Ugochukwu moved to Campos Racing. In the final weekend of the season, he knocked Audi junior Freddie Slater off the top spot in the title race and went on to claim the trophy.

Ugochukwu already has some experience behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car. Last June, he was allowed to test an Alpine car at the Monza circuit.