Cadillac Shifts Focus to Reserve Driver Search After Main Driver Signings

Cadillac Begins Search for Reserve Drivers Following Bottas and Perez Signings

Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon has confirmed the newly formed F1 team is now actively seeking a reserve driver, having made no prior offers. This comes after the long-awaited announcement of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez as their primary drivers for their 2026 debut season.

Why it matters:

While rarely seen on track during a Grand Prix, reserve drivers are crucial for F1 teams. They provide essential support for testing, simulator work, and are indispensable in emergencies. The 2024 season highlighted this necessity when Oliver Bearman stepped in for Carlos Sainz due to illness and later for Kevin Magnussen following a race ban, demonstrating the critical role these drivers play when a main driver is incapacitated.

The big picture:

F1 teams often have flexible arrangements for reserve drivers, sometimes sharing them with other outfits, particularly those with shared engine suppliers. Mercedes, for example, often loans out its reserve talent. With Cadillac set to use Ferrari power units, there's a potential avenue to tap into Ferrari's existing reserve pool, which currently includes drivers like Zhou Guanyu and Antonio Giovinazzi. This partnership could offer a strategic advantage in staffing the reserve role.

The details:

Lowdon explicitly stated, "We haven’t started looking, we’ve made no offers to anybody, for any reserve position with the team." He added, "But that is now the position that we’ll turn our attention to and it helps complete the line-up." This signifies a clear shift in focus for the nascent team as they continue to build out their full operational structure.

Regarding the readiness of their main drivers, Lowdon expressed confidence. He isn't concerned about Sergio Perez's time away from an F1 seat, noting that Perez is actively karting and will soon be on the simulator. Lowdon also highlighted the benefit of increased testing opportunities in 2026, with an initial test in Barcelona followed by two additional tests in Bahrain, providing ample track time for both drivers to get up to speed. Valtteri Bottas's experience, particularly with recent Mercedes developments in tyres and power units, is considered highly valuable for adapting to the new 2026 regulations.

What's next:

Cadillac will now intensify its efforts to secure a reserve driver, a critical step in finalizing their driver lineup and ensuring comprehensive operational readiness ahead of their highly anticipated 2026 Formula 1 entry.