Andretti driver Kyle Kirkwood sets the record straight on Cadillac F1 talks amid Colton Herta rumors

Andretti Global's IndyCar driver Kyle Kirkwood has shared his crystal-clear stance on the driver rumors surrounding the team's F1 project - the Cadillac F1 team. Both his teammates Marcus Ericsson and Colton Herta have been considered as driver prospects for Cadillac when it joins the F1 grid in 2026.

Mario Andretti, the director of the General Motors-backed F1 team, has declared Herta as his top choice for one seat. Meanwhile, Ericsson's F1 past with Sauber led Andretti Global to summon him to test Cadillac F1's simulator earlier this year.

However, at no point has Kyle Kirkwood's name been taken in the same breath as Cadillac F1, until the media bullpen during IndyCar's Grand Prix of St. Petersburg this past weekend. When asked about his potential involvement in the F1 project, which is yet to be officially green-lighted by the FIA, Kirkwood said (via Athlon Sports):

"No distractions for me. If I’m being honest, minimal questions. I know nothing about it. It’s not something I want to know now because I don’t want to be the guy with information that people are asking for. It’s a good situation for the team. They have worked hard towards it. But my focus is here in IndyCar."

Colton Herta is the most likely of any current IndyCar drivers to grace a Cadillac F1 seat in 2026. However, he needs to finish fifth or higher in the 2025 IndyCar standings to get the required super license points to be eligible for an F1 seat.

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Kyle Kirkwood gives a flattering assessment of Andretti Global's blistering pace after IndyCar's St. Petersburg GP

AUTO: MAR 02 INDYCAR Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Source: Getty

Andretti Global nearly pulled off an extraordinary race weekend at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg weekend. Colton Herta qualified on the front row, just shy of Scott McLaughlin's pace, while teammates Marcus Ericsson and Kyle Kirkwood earned P7 and P9.

In the race, Kirkwood and Ericsson made their way up to finish P5 and P6. Unfortunately, Herta, who was in victory contention, had his race derailed after a botched pit stop, which forced another pit stop for corrections.

Nonetheless, they left the 1.8-mile circuit on a pleasant note because their car had a championship-caliber pace. Home hero Kyle Kirkwood, who finished in the Top 5, said:

"I don't know if we had Ganassi pace, but we definitely had Penske pace today. So, we were really strong. I think we could have gotten a podium out of that if we had played our cards perfectly right."

Kirkwood recorded a career-best 7th-place finish in the 2024 standings while Herta finished runner-up to champ Alex Palou. The second IndyCar race of 2025 is the Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix, which Palou won last year when it was a non-points-paying race.