As an F1 summer break distinctly lacking in speculation and conjecture draws to a close, confirmation of Cadillac’s first-ever Formula One driver line-up on Tuesday did not ruffle any feathers. For many months, the talk of the paddock was that Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez were the frontrunners to occupy the seats at F1’s soon-to-be 11th team. Ultimately, the powers that be at Cadillac’s new UK-based hub in Silverstone, and across the Atlantic in Indiana and North Carolina, ignored widely held wishes for youth and American involvement and instead plumped for both drivers.
In many regards, it is a decision steeped in realism and common sense. For an outfit joining the world’s most technical sport at the start of a new era, their driver line-up presented a chance to add know-how and expertise to their roster, less than seven months out from the team’s daunting debut in Australia.
And in picking the two most experienced free agents this year’s driver market had to offer, the team backed by American giants General Motors will now have a perfect litmus test for their inaugural year; a 2026 season where the team are under no illusions that the back of the pack will likely be their regular stomping ground.
Combined, Bottas and Perez have 16 victories, 26 seasons, 106 podiums and 527 races between them. Both 35-year-old drivers lost their seats at the end of last season: Bottas at Sauber after three largely uneventful years and Perez at Red Bull following four topsy-turvy seasons as Max Verstappen’s teammate. Yet, unlike the likes of recently dropped stars in Daniel Ricciardo and Kevin Magnussen, neither opted to shut the door firmly shut on their careers in F1.
Respective understudies for Red Bull and Mercedes in the 2021 battle royal between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, Perez and Bottas now join forces. Coaxed into a new stateside project, fresh from the bottom up, both were presented as drivers in a slick 60-second promo on social media, narrated by Keanu Reeves. The Canadian actor and musician will also, incidentally, present a behind-the-scenes documentary next year telling the story of Cadillac’s preparation and entry in F1, in a similar style to his docu-series on Brawn’s 2009 championship-winning season on Disney+.
“From the moment I began speaking with Cadillac, I felt something different – something ambitious but also grounded,” said Bottas, perhaps with a nod to a forecast of minimal expectations heading into next season.
“This isn’t just a racing project; it’s a long-term vision… this is an iconic brand with a big legacy in American motorsport and to be a part of the story as it enters the world stage of F1 is incredibly special for me.
A similarly enraptured Perez added: “From our first conversations, I could sense the passion and determination behind this project. It’s an honour to be part of building a team that can develop together so that, in time, we will fight at the very front.”
In a race against the clock from now to next March, Cadillac need not worry about the added stress of implementing a rookie driver into their outfit. Both Bottas and Perez have at least a decade’s worth of experience in F1 and boast respectable second-place driver championship finishes to their name. Now, in the simulator, they can get to work.
And, interestingly, the trials and tribulations of half a dozen rookies taking to the grid this year has, in absentia, actually aided the pair’s cause. Particularly for Perez, lambasted for his displays last year next to Verstappen at Red Bull, Liam Lawson’s two-race failure and Yuki Tsunoda’s weekly troubles this year have improved his general standing. Indeed, his weekly misgivings about the car were, perhaps, not as far-fetched as they seemed at the time.
As for Bottas, his willingness to spend a season on the sidelines (but in the paddock) as a reserve driver back at Mercedes has impressed a host of onlookers this season, who assumed the Finn’s future was perhaps in another motorsport series. His newfound comedic value on social media is another feather in his cap, while Perez’s millions of Mexican fans will make Cadillac firmly the team of North America next year.
However, with all that being said, there is an alternative perspective to this decision. For all their experience, Bottas and Perez left F1 last year with their performances plummeting. There was definitely an obvious reason to sign one up as the de facto team leader. But both? In a grid with drivers as young as 18 and as old as 44, it does feel a tad stale and monotonous.
Why no American driver? Simply put: there was not sufficient quality or experience out there for Cadillac to take that gamble. IndyCar star Colton Herta has long been linked with a move to F1 but, as Cadillac CEO Dan Towriss pointed out, the 25-year-old does not have the required FIA superlicence points at this stage. Two-time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden was always an outside bet.
A more realistic and exciting prospect was Spanish driver Alex Palou, who has just claimed his third consecutive IndyCar title and fourth overall. Palou has ties with McLaren and, fascinatingly, has been ambitiously linked with the second seat at Red Bull for 2026. However, in a recent interview, he made his IndyCar ambitions clear: “I’m not looking for a change.”
So then we move to: why not a young driver? Schumacher is still hoping for a route back into F1 after being dropped by Haas in 2022, and is still a candidate for a reserve role with Cadillac. Similarly, Chinese driver Zhou – who has team principal Graeme Lowdon as his agent and is currently a reserve at Ferrari, who will supply Cadillac’s engines next year – could be involved in a backup capacity. Both were overlooked for the main seats.
The likes of 2022 F2 champion Felipe Drugovich – who has consistently impressed in practice outings for Aston Martin – and Mercedes reserve Frederik Vesti can count themselves unfortunate. Drugovich has even driven for Cadillac in endurance events in Le Mans and Daytona. Yet seemingly, no cross-competition references made their mark effectively enough.
A sprinkling of young stardust feels a key ingredient that, by choice, Cadillac have passed up on in starting their F1 journey. They have sensibly (some would say) and uninspiringly (others might say) played it safe. And so it’s Bottas and Perez who, given their raft of experience with regulation changes in F1, should help get the wheels turning smoothly in next year’s extensive three-test window, prior to the 2026 season-opener in Melbourne on 8 March.
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