Veterans Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez set to drive for F1's newest team in 2026
Updated . First published
Veteran racers Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez have reportedly been signed as Cadillac's inaugural driver pairing for the 2026 season.
With the General Motors-backed constructor given the green light to join Formula 1 in 2026 as the class's 11th team, the restricted number of drivers on the grid is set to grow.
While the American team is yet to formally announce their driver line-up, it will become official when F1 returns from its mid-season break this coming weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix.
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Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez on the grid. Formula 1 via Getty Images
Multiple sources are now reporting that Cadillac has chosen to revive the careers of two of the sport's recently ousted drivers.
Perez has not been on the circuit this year after he was axed by Red Bull last December.
The Milton Keynes-based squad filled his seat by elevating Liam Lawson, who was subsequently replaced by Racing Bulls' Yuki Tsunoda.
Meanwhile, Bottas returned to Mercedes as its reserve driver this year following a disappointing end to his stints with Sauber, formerly Alfa Romeo.
Cadillac will launch as a Ferrari customer team, with the Prancing Horse supplying General Motors' engine until it can produce its own.
This partnership means Bottas and Perez could start testing in the coming months, driving an older Ferrari car during F1's testing of previous cars sessions to integrate with their new power unit supplier's equipment.
Cadillac, led by team principal Graeme Lowdon, has opted for experience. Getty
The pair, who will both be 36 years old at the start of next season, are expected to join Cadillac on multi-year deals.
With 527 grand prix starts and 16 race victories between them, the outfit will be able to draw on experience as it battles from the back of the grid.
The team's prioritisation of experience also speaks volumes about their expectations in their maiden year.
Their focus on veterans contrasts with their goal as an American team to attract a larger US audience to F1, a push that included strong efforts to sign American IndyCar driver Colton Herta.
Cadillac has also been linked with several other drivers, including Tsunoda, ex-F1 drivers Mick Schumacher, Zhou Guanyu and Australia's Jack Doohan, juniors Felipe Drugovich and Paul Aron.
