Cadillac Sign Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez For 2026!

With 527 races between them, the experienced duo of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez make their return to Formula 1 in 2026, after Cadillac announce their driver line-up for their inaugural season!

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Ever since Cadillac’s Formula 1 entry for the 2026 season was confirmed back in March, speculation has been rife as to who the all-new American team will select to pilot their two cars. A host of names were thought to be in the running. From former HOS racer Mick Schumacher to exsour Guan Yu and F2 champion Felipe Dragovich. And given Cadillac’s US pedigree, a roll call of American drivers like Colton Hera, Kyle Kirkwood, and Jack Crawford were also rumored to be in the mix. But now we know the General Motors back team will be fielding Formula 1 stalwarts Valter Batas and Sergio Perez when they join the grid next year. How about that? Botas is immensely experienced, having contested almost 250 Grand Prix. After winning the GP3 series in 2011, he made his Formula 1 debut with Williams in 2013, grabbing his first podium the following year in Austria. Eight more top three finishes followed for Williams as the Finn established himself as one of the quickest and most consistent young drivers on the grid. His time with Sir Frank’s team was so impressive that when Nico Rossberg won the world championship in 2016 and then promptly retired from the sport just weeks later, Toto Wolf swooped for Botas to fill the seat vacated by the departing champion. And just four races into his Mercedes career, Botas was a race winner, taking his maiden victory in the Russian Grand Prix at Sochi. That was the first of 10 wins for the Finn so far in Formula 1, a record bettered by only three drivers currently racing in the sport. In his silver arrow spell, Botas racked up 58 podium finishes and 20 pole positions and helped Mercedes win five constructor’s titles in a row. James, it’s all three. Well done. In 2022, he moved to Alfa Romeo and spent three years with the Saur Run team before returning to Mercedes in a reserve driver role, keeping his eye in as he plotted a racing return. But Cadillac haven’t gone for just one race winner for their new lineup. They’ve got two, and that’s something only two other Formula 1 teams can boast. We can’t. Former Red Bull racer Sergio Perez will join Valtry Botas at the team next year. And the Mexican is even more experienced than his new teammate, having raced in more than 280 Grand Prix across his 14-year career in F1 so far. After finishing as runner up in the 2010 GP2 series, Perez was snapped up by Saur for 2011. He spent two years with the Swiss squad and quickly made a name for himself as a midfield dynamo with his skill for snatching podiums away from the big boys. After a tricky year at McLaren, Perez found a new home at Force India in 2014, where he burnished his reputation as a consistent point scorer, always ready to pounce for a podium and with a knack for managing his tires better than just about anyone else on the grid. In 2020, he stunned the paddic by taking his very first Grand Prix victory under the lights on an extraordinary night at the Sakir Grand Prix in Bahrain. Yes, Czecho P1. I missp And just days later, he sealed a switch to Red Bull to partner Max Versstappen for 2021 and beyond. At his new team, he added a hatful more podiums to his tally, took five more victories, three pole positions, runner up to Versappen in the 2023 drivers championship, and helped Red Bull seal two constructor’s titles before leaving the team at the end of last year. So, the pieces are falling into place for F1’s newest team. Cadillac have a Ferrari power unit supply, former Manor Marussia sporting director Graham Lden in place as team principal and technical expertise from experienced engineers like Nick Chester and Pat Simmons. And now we know who will be behind the wheel when the cars hit the track for the opening Grand Prix of the 2026 season in Melbourne. Took quite a while, huh? Cadillac may be a brand new team, but by signing Batas and Perez, they bagged one of the most experienced lineups in modern F1 and two drivers who know exactly what it takes to win in the fastest sport on Earth.