Cadillac F1 Officially Signs Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez for the 2026 Season

Liputan6.com, Jakarta Formula 1 racing team Cadillac F1 officially announced the signing of two experienced drivers, Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, for their debut season in 2026.

This significant announcement, made on August 26, 2025, marks a major step for General Motors-backed Cadillac, becoming the 11th team on the Formula 1 grid.

Both Bottas and Perez have signed multi-year contracts.

With a combined total of over 500 Grand Prix starts and over 100 podium finishes, this duo is expected to lead Cadillac F1 to fierce competition from the outset.

Two paths. One call of destiny.The Cadillac Formula 1 Team's future begins with them. pic.twitter.com/4r9g6IsDW1

— Cadillac Formula 1 Team (@Cadillac_F1) August 26, 2025

Cadillac F1 chose Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez for a reason.

Cadillac Team Director Graeme Lowdon stated that signing two drivers of Bottas and Checo (Perez)'s caliber is a "bold signal of intent" from the team.

Lowdon described the signing of the two veteran drivers, which will come with substantial pay packages, as a “bold statement of intent” that is needed for a team that is ambitious to immediately compete for wins.

“They’ve seen it all and they know what it takes to succeed in Formula One. But more importantly, they understand what it means to help build a team,” he said.

“Their leadership, feedback, race-hardened instincts and of course their speed will be invaluable as we bring this team to life.”

Both drivers were enthusiastic while acknowledging the task ahead.

“This isn’t just a racing project; it’s a long-term vision,” Bottas said.

“It’s not every day that you get a chance to be part of something being built from the ground up and helping shape it into something that truly belongs on the F1 grid. I’ve had the honour of working with some of the best teams in the world, and I can already see the same professionalism and hunger here.”

Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas is a 10-time Grand Prix winner.

He previously raced for Mercedes from 2017 to 2021, where he played a key role in winning the Constructors' Championship each year.

Bottas finished second in the Drivers' Championship twice, in 2019 and 2020, behind Lewis Hamilton.

After leaving Sauber at the end of the 2024 season, Bottas will serve as Mercedes' reserve driver in 2025.

He will be 36 when the 2026 season begins in Australia.

Sergio "Checo" Perez, a Mexican driver, is a six-time Grand Prix winner.

He brings extensive F1 experience, having raced for Sauber, McLaren, and Force India/Racing Point before moving to Red Bull. At Red Bull, he helped the team win the Team Championship in 2022 and 2023.

Perez finished second in the Drivers' Championship in 2023, a career-best result.

He leave Red Bull at the end of the 2024 season and will be 36 years old when the 2026 season begins.

Bottas stated that the Cadillac project feels "different".

“I’m proud to be part of such an ambitious and meaningful project from the very beginning,” he said.

“Together I believe we can help shape this team into a real contender.”

Meanwhile, Perez revealed that he has been in discussions with Cadillac executives since last December and finds the project "very exciting".

The Cadillac F1 Team will be led by Graeme Lowdon as Team Director and Dan Towriss as CEO of TWG Motorsports and Cadillac.

The team will use Ferrari engines until they begin producing their own engines in 2029.

Cadillac will be the first new constructor to join the grid since Haas in 2016.

The team has three bases in the United States: Indiana, North Carolina, and Michigan, and one in the UK, at Silverstone.

The engine department will be based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

General Motors (GM) has paid a US$450 million expansion fee to enter Formula 1.