Cadillac OPT for the range of drivers from Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas for the inaugural season 2026 F1

Cadillac signed the winners of the Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas Grand Prix to be their drivers when the team joins the Formula 1 grid for the first time in 2026.

The American team, which is supported by General Motors and will be headed by the former director of Marussia Sportif Graeme Lowdon, will become the 11th sports team next season.

Cadillac opted for experience with their range, signing “ Checo ” Perez and Mercedes Reserve Bottas – which have 527 Grand Prix departures and 16 Victories of the Grand Prix between them – on multi -year offers.

“The signature of two very experienced runners like Bottas and Checo is a daring intention signal,” said Lowdon. “They have seen everything and they know what it takes to succeed in Formula 1. But more importantly, they understand what it means to help build a team.

“Their leadership, their comments, their hardened instincts and of course, their speed will be invaluable while we give life to this team. A big thank you to the Mercedes team for their cooperation and their understanding.”

He marks a remarkable return for the veteran duo, both of 35 years old, after losing their respective F1 racing seats at the end of last season.

Perez took a while to consider his future goals and spend time with his family after leaving Red Bull, while Bottas remained in the paddock as a reserve for Mercedes after his Sauber release.

Mexican Perez provides immense F1 experience, having contributed to Sauber, McLaren and Force India / Racing Point before moving to Red Bull, where he helped the team win the team championship in 2022 and 2023.

“Joining the Cadillac Formula 1 team is an incredibly exciting chapter in my career,” said Perez. “From our first conversations, I could feel passion and determination behind this project.

“It is an honor to be part of the constitution of a team that can develop together so that over time, we will fight in front. Cadillac is a legendary name in American motorsport, and to help bring such a fantastic business to Formula 1 is a huge responsibility, the one I am convinced to take.

“I am proud to be part of such a ambitious and significant project from the start. I am really happy to be part of such a dynamic program, and together I believe that we can help shape this team in a real competitor, the team of the Americas. We count on the support of the whole continent – and we want to make everyone proud.”

Finland’s Bottas have had an incredible success at Mercedes, playing a key role in silver arrows winning the team championship each year from 2017 to 2021.

“From the moment I started talking to the Cadillac Formula 1 team, I felt something different – something ambitious but also anchored,” said Bottas. “It is not only a race project; it is a long -term vision.

“It is not every day that you are lucky enough to be part of something that is built from zero and to help shape it in something that really belongs to the F1 grid.

“I had the honor to work with some of the best world teams, and I can already see the same professionalism and the same hunger here.

“This is an emblematic brand with a great heritage in American motorsport, and being part of the story when it enters the world scene of F1 is incredibly special for me. I can’t wait to represent the American race spirit on the biggest circuits in the world. I would also like to thank Mercedes for their unwavering support and sport to facilitate such an exciting step.”

The CEO of the Formula 1 team of Cadillac and Twg Motorsports, a division of Global Twg, Dan Towriss said: “Bottas and Checo bring the perfect balance between talents, maturity and driving.

“It is not only the accomplished runners, it is manufacturers, employees and professionals who will help define what the Formula 1 team of Cadillac represents. This moment marks more than a simple announcement. This is the beginning of a new daring chapter in American motorsport.”

The president of GM, Mark Reuss, added: “Our new pilots are a welcome addition to the Cadillac Racing family – each brings a depth of experience and an unshakable passion to win.

“Together, we build the basics of American car sports which will be an extraordinary heritage for Cadillac, GM and sport.”