Sergio Perez is making a Formula 1 comeback with Cadillac after a mildly sour divorce from Red Bull Racing last year. He’ll be joined by none other than Valtteri Bottas, who will be abandoning his role with Mercedes at the end of this season. The two veteran drivers were hired on equal terms and on multi-year contracts, team CEO Dan Towriss confirmed Tuesday morning.
Towriss was joined by General Motors President Mark Reuss for the press conference to announce the team’s maiden drivers, though they did not divulge contract specifics in regards to length or compensation.
This confirms the rumors that have been swirling seemingly since the team’s inception, although these grew louder over the last few weeks as many outlets claimed to have insider knowledge of the pair’s signing. Perez’s father, who has a strong presence on social media due to his role in Mexican politics, made things quite obvious, posting a photo of a Cadillac Escalade on Instagram over the weekend, along with the caption “The best is yet to come.” That post has expired by now.
“This is a big moment for us that has taken a lot of effort to get us to this point,” said Towriss. “Obviously there’s been a lot of speculation on which drivers were going to be selected for the Cadillac team, but after a thorough review process led by our team principal Graeme Lowdon, I’m pleased to announce—or maybe better yet say confirm—the signing of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez as our two drivers for the Cadillac Formula 1 Team for its debut season in the 2026 World Championship.
“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with them. We believe in their experience, their leadership, and their technical acumen; they are the right combination of drivers at the right time. We are humbled by their belief in us and this project. There is a pool of young drivers who are very exciting and very talented, and F1 is the pinnacle of racing, so this was a tough decision. Ultimately, it was the experience and leadership of these two individuals that stood out above the rest.”
Reuss, who is deeply involved with GM’s racing efforts—whether it be Chevy in IndyCar or Cadillac in WEC and IMSA—expressed his excitement for the team’s new pilots.
“It’s very exciting today to look at Cadillac and the commitment that GM has with TWG,” said Reuss. “Dan mentioned all the podiums and wins these two drivers share, which is important, as developing new vehicles will take a deep relationship between the drivers and the technical team. We have the people, we have the tools, and we have invested heavily in these, so now we have the drivers who have vast experience in the circuits of F1, so they are a really important part of this. The feedback the drivers will provide for vehicle development will be a landmark in the history of Cadillac. This should be a winning combination.”
Come March 2026, two Ferrari-powered Cadillacs will show up at Albert Park ready to establish a new pecking order not just for the 11 teams, but also 22 drivers. With all-new regulations in place by then, it’ll be interesting to see where Cadillac, Perez, Bottas, and the rest will land. While there is always a sense of hope about a major reshuffling of the established order, we’re still many months away from seeing what any team is capable of. According to Reuss, development of GM’s own F1 power unit is still on track to be completed by the end of the decade.
It will also be interesting to see a bit of an internal fight between Perez and Bottas for the coveted place of number one driver within the team. Both pilots have finished second to their superstar teammates in the drivers’ championship—Bottas to Lewis Hamilton and Perez to Max Verstappen. That said, Bottas boasts stronger stats compared to the popular Mexican. The Finn has 10 wins compared to Checo’s six, and a whopping 67 podiums compared to 39. When it comes to pole positions, Bottas has 20 to Perez’s three.
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