Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez are gearing up to make a significant impact during their debut season with Cadillac in Formula 1 next year. The seasoned duo expresses strong confidence in their ability to deliver surprises, viewing the new project as both a personal reset and a unique chance to build a team from the ground up.
Why it matters
This move brings two highly experienced drivers with a combined 527 starts, 106 podiums, and 16 race wins to an entirely new F1 team. Their commitment to Cadillac signals a strong intent for the American manufacturer to be competitive from the outset, rather than just making up the numbers.
The big picture
- Perez's Comeback: After his departure from Red Bull, Sergio Perez sees Cadillac as an opportunity to reignite his passion and guide the team's development. He aims to leverage his extensive experience across different teams to accelerate Cadillac's progress. "My main target is to enjoy being back," Perez stated, adding, "We know we don’t have time on our side, but we also can be a big surprise." He notably turned down offers from other teams like Alpine, keen to define the final chapter of his F1 career on his own terms.
- Bottas's Preparation: Valtteri Bottas, who served as Mercedes' reserve driver this season after five years with the team and a stint at Sauber, has already gained a head start. His role included simulator work and engineering meetings focused on the incoming 2026 regulations, providing crucial insights for Cadillac's challenge. Bottas revealed, "Early on this year, it was clear for me that this is what I want. I want to be part of this great brand, this start-up Formula 1 team with great structure and big goals."
- Teamwork is Key: Both drivers emphasize that collaboration will be paramount for Cadillac's success. Bottas highlighted, "Being each other’s enemies, this couldn’t be more the opposite than the situation we’re in now." Perez echoed this, stressing that their collective ability to integrate and move the team forward quickly will define their trajectory.
What's next
Cadillac is actively planning pre-season testing for its drivers. Given its power unit partnership with Ferrari, the team will utilize old-spec Ferrari machinery to provide Bottas and Perez with crucial track time before 2025 ends. Team principal Graeme Lowdon confirmed, "We'll be introducing car testing as well this year... We just have a plan to steadily build up so that when we get to Melbourne, we hit the ground running." Perez, who hasn't driven an F1 car since leaving Red Bull, is set to return to the cockpit soon, confident he "will be ready to deliver from the first race onwards."