It’s official: veteran Formula 1 drivers Valtteri Bottas and Sergio “Checo” Pérez will lead Cadillac into its maiden F1 campaign in 2026. The American marque confirmed the long-rumoured line-up on Tuesday morning in a dramatic reveal, marking the start of one of the most ambitious projects the sport has seen in years.
The announcement came via a social media video featuring a moustachioed Finn answering a ringing telephone, before Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves delivered a voiceover. “Few are called, fewer still are chosen,” Reeves intoned, praising Cadillac as “the Godfathers of American glory” before declaring, “A man has but one destiny. But destinies are written together.”
Moments later, Bottas and Pérez are seen to lift their plain helmets to reveal themselves as Cadillac’s chosen pairing. Pérez, 35, returns to the grid after his Red Bull exit at the end of 2024, following a difficult season overshadowed by Max Verstappen. A veteran of more than 250 starts since his 2011 debut, the Mexican has 35 podiums and six wins to his name.
Bottas/Perez: 106 podiums between them
Bottas, also 35, spent 2025 as a Mercedes reserve after losing his Kick Sauber seat. A ten-time Grand Prix winner, he previously partnered Lewis Hamilton for five seasons, contributing to five consecutive Constructors’ Championships. Between them, Bottas and Pérez have stood on the podium 106 times.
“From the moment I began speaking with the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, I felt something different — something ambitious but also grounded,” Bottas said in a press release. “This isn’t just a racing project; it’s a long-term vision. Cadillac is an iconic brand with a big legacy in American motorsport, and to help bring that to Formula 1 is incredibly special.”
Pérez echoed the sentiment, calling the move “a huge responsibility” and “an exciting new chapter.” He added: “We’re building a team that can develop together, so in time we can fight at the very front. This is a team for all of the Americas, and we want to make everyone proud.”
Cadillac becomes the first new team to join F1 since Haas in 2016. While new to the series, the American manufacturer is no stranger to racing. It fields cars in IMSA and the World Endurance Championship (WEC), scoring pole at the 2024 Le Mans 24 Hours and securing a 1–2 finish in the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo. The brand currently sits second in the WEC Hypercar standings, highlighting its growing strength on the global motorsport stage.
Cadillac F1 with 3 bases
The F1 team will be based across three hubs — Fishers, Indiana; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Silverstone, UK — merging American engineering with European Formula 1 expertise.
Dan Towriss, CEO of the Cadillac Formula 1 Team and TWG Motorsports, emphasised the importance of the line-up. “Their experience and leadership are what we needed. We couldn’t be more excited to take the next step with them,” he said, confirming both drivers had signed multi-year contracts.
Towriss revealed that Cadillac considered several options before settling on Bottas and Pérez as their “first choice,” even probing Pérez’s form after his troubled 2024. “We had questions and skepticism, but in our meetings he outperformed and answered all of them, passing with flying colours,” Towriss revealed.
He also moved to shut down speculation linking ex-Red Bull boss Christian Horner with the new project: “There have been no talks with Christian Horner. I want to officially shut down the rumours. Our support, belief, backing is 100% in Graeme Lowdon.”
FIA update: 2026 “rules not finalised”
Cadillac arrange test in 2023 Ferrari
Team principal Graeme Lowdon, appointed last December, hailed the signing as a signal of intent. “They’ve seen it all and know what it takes to succeed in F1 — but more importantly, they know what it means to help build a team. Their leadership, feedback and speed will be invaluable.”
GM president Mark Reuss added: “Together, we’re building the foundation for American motorsports that will be an extraordinary legacy for Cadillac, GM, and the sport.”
Bottas and Pérez will begin testing the new car in January 2026, ahead of its official launch in February. Their first race will be the Australian Grand Prix in March, a historic moment marking Cadillac’s official arrival on the F1 grid.
However, Cadillac have negotiated an arrangement with Ferrari, who will supply their power units in 2026, to do some testing in their 2023 F1 car which is allowed under the FIA’s TPC regulations. Normally each race driver is allowed 500km of TPC testing during a season, although with Cadillac not yet on the grid they may not be bound by those restrictions.
Mich Schumacher: Cadillac reserve driver
The new F1 team haven’t announced their reserve driver as yet, although Mick Schumacher looks to be in the box seat due to his affiliation with the WEC racing series. Currently racing for Alpine in endurance racing, reports emerge last week the young German will be moving to replace Jenson button in the Cadillac Jota WEC team. If true, Cadillac will almost certainly appoint him as their reserve F1 driver and given the high praise he received from Lewis Hamilton for his simulator work, Schumacher may be key to the team arriving at a weekend with the car already in the correct setup window.
With two proven veterans, heavyweight backing from General Motors, and a brand steeped in American racing heritage, Cadillac’s entry represents far more than just another new team. It is a declaration of intent — to establish an American powerhouse on the world stage of Formula 1.
Hamilton: “Never quite been the same since…..
Lewis Hamilton’s turbulent start to life at Ferrari has become one of Formula 1’s most debated storylines of 2025. Fourteen races into the season, the seven-time world champion has just a sprint victory in China to his name, and remains without a Grand Prix podium in Maranello red. For some observers, his struggles point to a deeper decline. For others, they are simply the painful growing pains of a driver adjusting to new machinery and new surroundings.
Among the more sobering assessments is that of former F1 driver and Sky analyst Anthony Davidson, who believes Hamilton’s difficulties stem back to the 2022 regulation reset. The introduction of ground-effect cars, with underfloor tunnels generating most of the downforce, has demanded a new style that Davidson feels Hamilton has never fully mastered.
“Since the new regulations came in, Lewis has never been quite the same,” Davidson reflected. “I sometimes see glimpses of the old Lewis, but he hasn’t had that instinctive control in the car anymore.” This is now evident following his much lauded move to Ferrari that was supposed to give Hamilton a reset…. READ M ORE
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
