The Cadillac F1 team has announced the signing of Pietro Fittipaldi, Simon Pagenaud, and Charlie Eastwood as its Formula One simulator drivers. The new hires will assist the sport’s eleventh F1 team in developing its simulator that replicates real-world Grand Prix racing.
Simulators have played an increasingly important role over the last few decades in training drivers to improve their track performance. It is no secret that Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is an ardent sim driver and has relied on the virtual racing world to build on his racing skills.
Fittipaldi arrives at Cadillac F1 with experience working with Haas as a reserve driver and has raced in two Grands Prix at the end of 2020, while Eastwood is a Corvette factory GT3 driver for Chevrolet. Pagenaud comes with extensive IndyCar experience, which includes a championship in 2016.
Unfortunately for him, a crash at Mid-Ohio in 2023 left him with a severe concussion, leading him to pause his racing career and become a driver coach for his former teammate Scott McLaughlin. He also partnered with General Motors for sim testing at its Charlotte simulator.
Cadillac F1’s sim driver signing announcement arrives weeks after it confirmed its 2026 debut driver lineup, comprising Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez. IndyCar star Colton Herta has been appointed as the team’s test driver.
Pagenaud opened up about the opportunity of working with F1’s second American team as a sim driver. He said in a statement:
“Optimising the technical side of a car and managing relationships with the people in the factory has been my passion since I started racing.
“I really enjoy talking with engineers, developing the simulator, and making it as realistic as possible. This work gives me the feeling of being useful and contributing my expertise, something I had been missing a little since my accident.
“My role and my goal are to make the simulator as close to reality as possible and to lay the foundations of the car. I want to help Cadillac project itself towards reality in the most accurate way possible.”
Cadillac F1 team principal Graeme Lowdon said:
“Our work in the simulator in Charlotte is extremely important for building the team.
“It is crucial in many respects: consolidating our baseline performance and aerodynamic setups, allowing us to be race-ready during a grand prix weekend, validating systems and protocols, but also establishing clear and efficient communication channels between our bases in the United States, the United Kingdom and, ultimately, trackside. Simon has brought experience and energy to this process, and he has been a tremendous help.”
Fittipaldi wrote on social media:
“I’m very proud to announce that I’ve joined @cadillacf1! Over the past few months we’ve been working together on developing the team car for 2026, both in simulator testing and full GP simulations. It’s a privilege to contribute my experience to a project of this scale and be part of an iconic brand like Cadillac.
“I’m very proud to finally share that I’ve joined the Cadillac F1 Team! We have been working together on the development of the team’s 2026 F1 car. Together with my teammates we have been doing extensive simulator testing and full race weekend simulations to prepare for next season. It’s a privilege to contribute my experience to a project of this scale and to be part of a brand as iconic as Cadillac.” [Translated by Instagram]
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