After much speculation, Cadillac reveals its Formula 1 drivers
It's official: Veteran Formula 1 drivers Sergio "Checo" Perez and Valtteri Bottas will be driving for Cadillac in 2026.
After weeks of speculation, Dan Towriss, the CEO of the Cadillac Formula 1 team and TWG Motorsports, and Mark Reuss, president of GM, made the announcement on Tuesday morning.
"[Bottas' and Perez's] experience and leadership are what we needed," Towriss said. "We couldn't be more excited to take the next step with them."
Perez, Max Verstappen's former Red Bull teammate, has been missing from the grid after the team terminated his contract at the end of the 2024 season. The 35-year-old had his debut start in 2011.
Bottas, 35, was tapped to be the reserve driver at Mercedes after losing his Kick Sauber seat for the 2025 season. Bottas was previously Lewis Hamilton's teammate for five seasons at Mercedes, helping the team win five constructors' championships. He started racing in Formula 1 in 2013.
The two men have a combined 106 podium wins in their lengthy Formula 1 careers.
"We've never done F1 before," Reuss told reporters. "These two drivers are very important to us."
Added Towriss, "We talked to a lot of drivers. We had assembled a dossier on drivers, looking at different combinations. [Bottas and Perez] were our first choice ... we're humbled by their belief in our program."
Perez's tenure at Red Bull was marred by a poor performance last year. He scored 285 fewer points than Verstappen, the championship winner. Towriss said Perez's disappointing season was probed in their discussions.
"In our meetings with him, he outperformed. We had questions and skepticism, [but] Perez answered all of our questions, passing our tests with flying colors," he said.
Towriss also addressed the online chatter that former Red Bull Team Principal and CEO Christian Horner was angling for a top role at the newly formed Cadillac team.
"There have been no talks with Christian Horner. I would like to officially shut down the rumors," he said.
The first race of the 2026 season is the Australian Grand Prix in March. Bottas and Perez will hit the track in January, testing out the new car before its official debut in early February. Towriss noted that both men signed multi-year deals with Cadillac. Graeme Lowden was named team principal last December.
Cadillac is the first new team to join the sport since 2016. The American automaker already has an extensive motorsports portfolio; its teams compete in IMSA and WEC Racing. In June, the Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA started in pole position at 24 Hours of Le Mans. At the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo in July, Cadillac saw a 1-2 podium finish in the Hypercar class. Cadillac is currently ranked second in the FIA World Endurance Championship standings.
