Bottas, Perez to race for Cadillac F1 team in 2026

Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez instrumentality to the F1 grid aft some drivers were dropped by their teams astatine the extremity of 2024.

Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas volition beryllium backmost connected the Formula One starting grid adjacent play aft Cadillac announced the signing of the aggregate contention winners arsenic the team’s debut operator pairing.

The Mexican and Finn some person multiyear deals, the General Motors-backed outfit said connected Tuesday without providing further details.

Perez, a six-time contention winner, and Bottas, who took 10 victories for Mercedes, are some 35 and person unfinished concern aft being dropped by the Red Bull and Sauber teams, respectively, successful 2024.

The announcement was expected, though immoderate younger prospects had been touted.

“We judge their experience, their enactment and their method acumen are truly what we need,” squad CEO Dan Towriss told reporters successful a video call.

“It’s the close operation – the close drivers astatine the close clip – and we’re humbled by their content successful america successful this project.”

Both spent years alongside 2 of the sport’s greats – Perez with four-time satellite champion Max Verstappen astatine Red Bull and Bottas arsenic sidekick to seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton astatine Mercedes.

They besides person much than 500 contention starts betwixt them – Perez 281 and Bottas 246 – and a combined 106 podium appearances.

Towriss said Perez, successful particular, was anxious to enactment “in the rearview mirror” his past play with Red Bull erstwhile helium suffered a melodramatic slump successful performance.

“We had questions, we had scepticism … and helium answered each of our questions, passed our tests with flying colours,” helium added.

Cadillac, who volition usage Ferrari powerfulness units until 2029 erstwhile General Motors hopes to person its own, look a steep learning curve arsenic the 11th squad astatine the commencement of a caller motor era.

Perez and Bottas – the second serving arsenic Mercedes reserve this play – said they were excited to beryllium starting afresh.

“This isn’t conscionable a racing project; it’s a semipermanent vision. It’s not each time that you get a accidental to beryllium portion of thing being built from the crushed up and helping signifier it into thing that genuinely belongs connected the F1 grid,” said Bottas.

“I’ve had the honour of moving with immoderate of the champion teams successful the world, and I tin already spot the aforesaid professionalism and hunger here.”

“I’m arrogant to beryllium portion of specified an ambitious and meaningful task from the precise beginning,” Perez said. “Together, I judge we tin assistance signifier this squad into a existent contender.”

Sergio Perez, who has 281 Formula One starts and six GP victories, brings a wealthiness of acquisition to the Cadillac start-up squad [File: Hiro Komae/AP Photo]