Familiar faces on a new F1 team: Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas, and the future of Cadillac F1 team
With the 2025 Formula 1 season coming to a close this weekend, Cadillac is gearing up for testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in January 2026.
The American team will make their debut in the grid next year, so far, having only offered brief updates and teasers.
The information shared includes Cadillac’s driver lineup, which will see the return of Sergio ‘Checo’ Perez and Valtteri Bottas.
But what makes these two drivers so special? Sports News Blitz’s Ellie Man explores.
Sergio ‘Checo’ Perez
A veteran of the grid, the Mexican driver made his debut in 2011 with Sauber, having been recognised by famed ‘talent scout’ Peter Sauber.
Checo’s rookie season saw him achieve 14 points, and in his second season with Sauber, he leapt forward, earning 66 points with three podium finishes.
After a brief and disappointing stint with McLaren in 2013, Perez moved to Force India (later Racing Point under new ownership, and now Aston Martin), which was the start of a seven-year partnership with the team.
During this time, he achieved his maiden win in Bahrain in 2020, after a record-breaking 190 race starts.
Following this success, Red Bull Racing signed Perez in 2021. Over the course of three seasons, he achieved new heights with the front-running team, aiding in winning the Constructors’ Championship from 2021 to 2024.
In 2022, two wins, 11 podiums, and three fastest laps saw him take home a high of 302 points.
However, despite these figures, Perez paled in comparison to his dominant team-mate, Max Verstappen.
Verstappen achieved 34 wins and 56 podiums with Checo as his partner, earning him the coveted World Championship each year.
Therefore, Perez was inevitably positioned to be second to the younger driver, and in 2024, he lost his seat to Liam Lawson, who Red Bull hoped would deliver stronger and more consistent results.
Despite not being part of F1 since being replaced, Cadillac has been keen to sign Checo as part of their new team.
Perez brings a wealth of experience to the new team, and can help to shape the car into a more refined and race-ready challenger.
Alongside this, Perez remains a hugely popular driver across Latin America as the most successful Mexican F1 driver.
He was the first Mexican driver to achieve pole position, and the second to win a race, following the shoes of Pedro Rodriguez.
This broad appeal aligns with Cadillac’s aim to promote their heritage, uniting the team, driver and fans with the union of Pan-American culture and pride.
Valtteri Bottas
Another seasoned driver, Valtteri Bottas debuted in 2013 with Williams, achieving four points during the course of 19 races.
With a more competitive car, the Finnish driver secured his maiden podium the following year, and consistently outperformed his more experienced team-mates - Pastor Maldonado and Felipe Massa - over the next three seasons with Williams.
With Nico Rosberg retiring after his maiden championship in 2016, Bottas made the switch to Mercedes.
It didn’t take long for Bottas to prove that he deserved his spot as he landed a podium in Bahrain - his first race with the team.
Three races later, he climbed onto the top step, earning his maiden win in Russia.
Bottas continued to be a reliable and high-scoring driver, playing a significant role in the Silver Arrows earning the Constructors’ Championship every year from 2017 to 2021.
His best season was in 2019, where 4 wins, fifteen podiums and three fastest laps tallied up to 324 points in total - second in driver standings, behind only his team-mate, Lewis Hamilton.
But in a similar story to Perez, Bottas found himself the second driver at Mercedes with Hamilton claiming victory after victory that has seen him achieve seven World Championship titles.
Then, having been replaced by up-and-coming rookie George Russell, Bottas moved to Alfa Romeo (later KICK Sauber as title sponsorship changed) in 2022.
With the car performing poorly and outpaced in development, he struggled to score consistent points, and in 2024, he lost his seat when Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto were signed.
Despite these events, Bottas is not absent from the track and currently serves as a reserve driver for Mercedes.
His record of success will also prove invaluable for Cadillac as he helps to accelerate the team’s learning curve by providing unparalleled understanding of car behaviour, race strategies and optimisation processes.
Bottas has also revealed that Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has been supportive of this decision, with acknowledgement of the Finnish driver’s talent and passion.
The future of Cadillac
Together, Bottas and Perez bring a combined 16 wins, 106 podiums and 3,435 points to the new team, encompassing 24 shared seasons that will provide unmatched insight to Cadillac’s long-term development.
Both drivers have signed multi-year contracts, and have highlighted the uniquely intriguing opportunity to shape the evolution of a competitive car and contribute to the ambition of becoming a race-winning team.
Chief Executive Officer of the Cadillac Formula 1 Team and TWG Motorsports, Dan Towriss, stated:
“Bottas and Checo bring the perfect balance of talent, maturity, and drive. They’re not just accomplished racers, they’re builders, collaborators, and professionals who will help define what the Cadillac Formula 1 Team stands for.”
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