Mario Andretti Names The Team Charles Leclerc Should Join If He Wants A 'Risk'

The 1978 Drivers' Champion, who is set to become more involved with F1 from 2026 onwards, has offered a get-out from Ferrari to Leclerc if he should want it.

Scuderia Ferrari

Ferrari have not had an ideal 2025. Last season saw the legendary constructor pipped to the post by McLaren for the Constructors' Championship, but this year has seen the team drop to third in the standings, a massive 352 points behind championship winners McLaren.

Star driver Charles Leclerc has a majority of the team's points — 173 out of 298 — but has only scored five podiums, admitting recently that he has been '"struggling massively."

But Mario Andretti, icon of Formula One during the 1970s, has stated that if Leclerc wants to take a risk in his career going forward that there is one team who might want him.

Andretti 'rooting' for Leclerc and offers him a seat at Cadilac

Mario Andretti rose to fame as an F1 driver in the 1970s before becoming heavily involved with IndyCar and its predecessors. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

In a recent interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Andretti came out with a shock statement:

"I'm really rooting for Leclerc, if he really wanted to change teams one day I would take him to Cadillac right away."

Mario Andretti

Although Andretti would love Leclerc at Cadillac, given that the 85-year-old is set to serve on the American team's board of directors in 2026 when they officially join the grid, he also confesses that Ferrari will return 'sooner or later'.

"Ferrari is Ferrari, and sooner or later it will return. Always."

Andretti on Ferrari

Andretti himself spent a brief period of his career with Ferrari, completing 12 races for the team between 1971 and 1972 — but durned down a full-time seat in order to race for Parnelli before winning the 1978 Drivers' Championship with Lotus.

While Leclerc has a much more significant amount of time under his belt at the Prancing Horses, the Monegasque racer only has eight wins despite 27 pole positions.

A move away is not certain to happen and so far there have been no substantial rumors, especially considering that Cadillac's lineup for 2026 is set, being the returning duo of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez.

Both drivers have signed two-year contracts, meaning 2027 is also most likely off the table in terms of a driver reshuffle.

What could Cadillac's lineup look like in the future?

Colton Herta has nine wins in seven full seasons of IndyCar racing. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

If Cadillac were able to secure the services of Leclerc at some point going forward, the most likely candidate for a teammate to join him that is neither Bottas or Pérez would be their current reserve driver, Colton Herta.

Herta, who is 25, has seven seasons of IndyCar expereince under his belt and last season, picked up his best ever finish with an impressive second in the standings behind champion Alex Palou, who has also been linked with an F1 move.

The American star is rumored to be making a move to F2 with the support of Cadilac for 2026, and will take on duties as their reserve driver at the same time.

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