Front-runners Valterri Bottas and Sergio Perez win Cadillac F1 seats for the new team’s 2026 entry into the series.
Bottas will have to serve a five-place grid penalty at his first race with Cadillac F1 after picking up the penalty in Abu Dhabi last year.
Both drivers were courted by Alpine, but their commitment to Cadillac leaves a question mark on the French team as in who will be Pierre Gasly’s teammate.
Cadillac has announced that veterans Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas will form its driver lineup for its entry into Formula 1 in 2026.
Perez and Bottas have been the front-runners for the new seats for several months, with Autoweek reporting last week that the duo were on the brink of finalizing their respective deals.
That has now been completed, and on Tuesday Cadillac confirmed its lineup on a multi-year basis.
The pair have started 527 grands prix between them—281 for Perez, 246 for Bottas—and both have vast experience of title-winning operations.
Perez won six grands prix, five for Red Bull Racing, with whom he raced for four seasons, including finishing runner-up in 2023, before losing his seat at the end of 2024.
Bottas scored 10 victories, and twice finished runner-up in the standings, in 2019 and 2020, during a five-year stint at Mercedes.
Neither have raced in 2025 but both have been actively exploring a full-time comeback, which they have landed with the start-up Cadillac operation.
“Signing two very experienced racers like Bottas and Checo is a bold signal of intent,” said Team Principal Graeme Lowdon. “They’ve seen it all and they know what it takes to succeed in Formula 1. But more importantly, they understand what it means to help build a team.
“Their leadership, feedback, race-hardened instincts and of course their speed will be invaluable as we bring this team to life.”
Perez Captures a Comeback
Perez debuted in 2011, racing for Sauber, McLaren, and Force India/Racing Point, establishing himself as a standout driver from the midfield, with his exploits peaking in 2020, when he took a spectacular maiden win in Bahrain.
That landed him a berth at Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen, where he won a further five grands prix, but struggles through late 2023 and 2024 prompted questions over his future.
Despite holding a contract Perez lost his Formula 1 seat at Red Bull at the end of the 2024 campaign and the timing of his departure left him unable to chase another drive for 2025.
Perez has taken time out to be with his family in his native Mexico for a prolonged period, and has not been present in the paddock this season, but after the winter months shook up his management group and tasked them with securing a return to the series.
His struggles at Red Bull through 2024 have also been put into a different perspective by the inability of Liam Lawson—who lasted just two events—and Yuki Tsunoda to get anywhere near Max Verstappen’s performance levels and results at a waning Red Bull team this season.
Alpine was interested in Perez’s availability but the Mexican was hesitant to commit mid-2025 owing to the uncertainty enveloping the team and its lack of performance.
Perez’s presence at Cadillac also ostensibly opens up the door for an array of partners—who have been long-term backers—to follow him to the team, potentially aiding Cadillac in the large Latin America market.
“From our first conversations, I could sense the passion and determination behind this project,” Perez said. “It's an honor to be part of a building a team that can develop together so that, in time, we will fight at the very front. Cadillac is a legendary name in American motorsport, and to help bring such a fantastic company to Formula 1 is a huge responsibility, one I’m confident of taking on.
“I’m proud to be part of such an ambitious and meaningful project from the very beginning. I’m really pleased to be part of such a dynamic line-up, and together I believe we can help shape this team into a real contender, the team of the Americas. We’re counting on support from across the continent—and we want to make everyone proud.”
Bottas Lands a Return
Bottas was one of the primary losers of last year’s silly season, having held out to remain at Sauber, only for the team to opt for a fresh lineup ahead of its transition into Audi next year.
By the time Bottas was informed of the decision the remaining seats had been taken, ending a stint on the grid that began when he joined Williams in 2013.
Bottas nonetheless reaffirmed his desire to remain in Formula 1 and stayed in the sport through a return to Mercedes as its official reserve driver.
Bottas has taken part in a handful of private test days with Mercedes—and one with McLaren—while he has attended every grand prix, remaining on standby in the event that either George Russell or Kimi Antonelli are sidelined.
Bottas is also understood to have been tapped by Alpine but, like Perez, favored the project proposed by Cadillac.
Bottas’ Cadillac career is nonetheless already like to start at the very back of the grid; thanks to a quirk in the regulations, Bottas will still have to serve a five-place grid penalty at his next race—set to be in Australia at the start of 2026—after picking up the penalty in Abu Dhabi last year. A 12-month time limit for sanctions has been added to the 2026 regulations but cannot be backdated retrospectively.
“From the moment I began speaking with the Cadillac Formula 1Team, I felt something different—something ambitious but also grounded,” said Bottas. “This isn’t just a racing project; it’s a long-term vision. It’s not every day that you get a chance to be part of something being built from the ground up and helping shape it into something that truly belongs on the F1 grid.”
What’s Left to Sort?
Cadillac’s confirmation of its line-up means it joins McLaren, Ferrari, Williams, Aston Martin, Haas and Sauber in having its drivers locked in for the 2026 season, which begins in just over six months’ time.
Perez and Bottas returning with Cadillac rules out the possibility of either joining Alpine, which still has a vacancy alongside Pierre Gasly.
Franco Colapinto is the incumbent after replacing Jack Doohan in May, but he has struggled during his spell in the A525.
Red Bull has yet to confirm the identity of Max Verstappen’s 2026 teammate, with Yuki Tsunoda currently in the seat, and its decision will have a knock-on effect on Racing Bulls.
Formula 2 front-runner Arvid Lindblad is a candidate to step up if Racing Bulls opts to make a change.
Mercedes is expected to retain George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, though the length of the Briton’s contract is understood to be the sticking point.
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