CADILLAC have announced their star-studded driver line-up for the 2026 Formula One season.
The team, who are joining the motorsport as the 11th manufacturer on the grid next year, will welcome Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez to their ranks.
APCadillac F1 have announced that Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez will drive for the team next year[/caption]
Cadillac are joining the grid as the 11th F1 team in 2026
AFPThe news was announced with a Keanu Reeves voiceover[/caption]
AFPBottas has spent the 2025 season as a Mercedes reserve driver[/caption]
AFPPerez has completed a return after being axed by Red Bull at the end of 2024[/caption]
The news was made public on Tuesday afternoon, with the help of a dramatic Keanu Reeves voiceover in a video reveal, after months of speculation over the two highly sought-after seats.
Both Bottas and Perez have been out of F1 for the 2025 season.
Flying Finn Bottas, who turns 36 on Thursday, lost his seat at Sauber in 2024, but is currently the reserve driver for his old team Mercedes.
Meanwhile, Mexican ace Perez, 35, was axed by Red Bull following a horror season partnering four-time world champion Max Verstappen in 2024.
The pair have both played second fiddle to multiple world champions at top teams – Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen respectively – but also proved to be highly capable midfield runners before those moves.
As the newest team on the grid, Cadillac – who are backed by US company General Motors – have opted for the safety and security of two top F1 veterans.
Between them they have 16 race wins, 106 podiums and 23 pole positions from over 527 race starts.
On the signings, Cadillac Team Principal, Graeme Lowdon, said: “Signing two very experienced racers like Bottas and Checo is a bold signal of intent.
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“They’ve seen it all and they know what it takes to succeed in F1. But more importantly, they understand what it means to help build a team.
“Their leadership, feedback, race-hardened instincts and of course their speed will be invaluable as we bring this team
to life.
“A big thank you to the team at Mercedes for their co-operation and understanding.”
On signing for the team Bottas said he had felt “something ambitious” during talks.
He continued: “This isn’t just a racing project; it’s a long-term
vision.
“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.”
The former Williams driver had teased his signing for the team in July with a pair of cryptic social media posts which featured Cadillac cars.
Likewise, Perez said he felt the “passion and determination behind the project” from the first conversations he had.
He said: “It’s an honour to be part of a building a team that can develop together so that, in time, we will fight
at the very front.
“Cadillac is a legendary name in American motorsport, and to help bring such a fantastic company to F1 is a huge responsibility, one I’m confident of taking on.”
Cadillac have named the two veterans after narrowing down their search to a shortlist including Michael Schumacher’s son, Mick, who has been out of F1 for three years.
General Motors President, Mark Reuss added: “Our new drivers are a welcome addition to the Cadillac racing family — each brings a depth of experience, and an unwavering passion to win.”
Reuss added he hoped to create “an extraordinary legacy” for the team and the sport.
F1 returns following the summer shutdown this weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort – the home grand prix of reigning world champion Verstappen.
It is the penultimate edition of the race before it leaves the calendar in 2026.
McLaren pair Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris currently lead the World Drivers’ Championship standings, with just nine points separating them and a massive 88 point gap to Verstappen in third.
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