ANALYSIS: WHY PEREZ AND BOTTAS GOT THE NOD FOR CADILLAC - AND THE DRIVERS THEY BEAT IN THE PROCESS
F1 Correspondent Lawrence Barretto reflects on the news that Cadillac have signed Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas as their driver line-up for 2026.
Cadillac have gone for experience for their debut season in Formula 1, with the American outfit signing race winners Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas. F1 Correspondent Lawrence Barretto explains more...
Ever since General Motors got the green light to enter Formula 1 in 2026 through their Cadillac brand, speculation has been rife about who they would place their trust in to get behind the wheel of their first F1 car.
Understandably, the squad's senior leaders, Team Principal Graeme Lowdon and TWG Motorsports and Cadillac CEO Dan Towriss, remained tight-lipped throughout the process.
We know that hiring American talent was a consideration as Lowdon said "hiring on merit and having a US driver are entirely compatible objectives for the team", with last year's IndyCar runner-up Colton Herta's name thrown into the mix.
But as the process continued, it became clear the desire to have an American behind the wheel was more an ambition for the future rather than for 2026.
That narrowed the shortlist, with the decision then focused on whether they should take two experienced drivers or, like fellow newcomers Audi, opt for one experienced racer and a youngster that could take them into the future.
Six-time race winner Perez and 10-time Grand Prix victor Bottas occupied the top two driver spots on the wish-list early doors.
But there were others in the mix. Bottas' former Sauber team mate Zhou Guanyu,who was previously managed by Lowdon and is currently Ferrari reserve, was of interest.
The team also spoke to Fred Vesti, who is one of Mercedes' reserves, former Haas racer Mick Schumacher and Aston Martin reserve Felipe Drugovich as they evaluated filling one seat with a younger driver.
Ultimately, though, they decided experience was the way to go because it would give them the best chance to hit the ground running next season.
With a combined 527 Grands Prix between them, the Perez and Bottas combo offers just that.
They have also signed them on multi-year deals, meaning they will race for the American squad until at least the end of 2027. This ensures stability for both the team and both drivers.
Perez seals sensational comeback after Red Bull exit
Cadillac wasted little time in speaking with Perez when it became clear they were set to make their debut in Formula 1.
Equally, Perez showed significant interest in wanting to be part of the journey after deciding he wanted a F1 return "for the right project".
The 35-year-old knows how to win both races and a Teams' Championship, as he did with Red Bull. But more crucially for Cadillac, he knows how to galvanise a team and drive them forward – as was evidenced during his stints with Sauber and Force India/Racing Point.
The quality of his feedback, his superb tyre management and ability to problem-solve effectively – plus his legion of Mexican fans – were also appealing to the American squad. He explored his options, as you would expect someone of his experience to do, and held talks with multiple teams, including Alpine – but it was Cadillac's project that enticed him.
And so talks intensified, with a deal in principle agreed over the summer before a final multi-year contract was inked ahead of Tuesday's announcement. Sources say billionaire Carlos Slim will continue to support Perez, though any financial backing would be a separate arrangement between him and the team.
Bottas' relentless push to return pays off
Bottas has been itching to return to a race seat after being overlooked by Sauber for 2025, and has cleverly utilised his relationship with Mercedes to keep him in the shop window.
The Finn has stayed race-fit through this season, while plugging himself into engineering meetings at Mercedes and spending plenty of time in the simulator through his reserve role.
He's played a key role in car development for 2026, too.
That kind of experience, and particularly his knowledge of next year's rules, will be invaluable for Cadillac as they look to enter the sport from a standing start.
He's also got three years of experience driving Ferrari power units, which will power Cadillac next season, during his time at Sauber.
So having decided experience was the way to go, Cadillac accelerated talks with Bottas and his management over the summer.
Mercedes were keen to help him find a way back to the grid, too, and thus have not stood in his way – and so a deal was done, paving the way for both to be announced ahead of this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix.
