Cadillac has signed veterans Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez as its drivers for the team’s maiden Formula 1 season next year.
The hugely experienced pair have signed multi-year deals with the American marque, which has been the subject of longstanding speculation as to which drivers it will select to help take its first steps in the sport.
Both men were touted for a seat with the Silverstone-based squad for some time, but often regarded as possibly vying for one, with the other to be filled by a younger driver.
But Team Principal Graeme Lowdon has decided to go all out and hire the sport’s most experienced out-of-work drivers to help tackle F1 for the first time.
In a statement, Bottas described the team as “ambitious but also grounded,” adding: “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.
“I’ve had the honour of working with some of the best teams in the world, and I can already see the same professionalism and hunger here.
“This is an iconic brand with a big legacy in American motorsport, and to be a part of the story as it enters the world stage of F1 is incredibly special.”
Perez said he was signing for the team based on how determined it appears to be to shake up the status quo of F1.
“From our first conversations, I could sense the passion and determination behind this project,” he said.
“To help bring such a fantastic company to F1 is a huge responsibility, one I’m confident of taking on.”
Two paths. One call of destiny.
— Cadillac Formula 1 Team (@Cadillac_F1) August 26, 2025
The Cadillac Formula 1 Team's future begins with them. pic.twitter.com/4r9g6IsDW1
Bottas and Perez – the men tasked with taking Cadillac to the top of F1
Bottas began his F1 career in 2013 with Williams, scoring his first points at the penultimate round in Austin.
2014 was the season that placed the Finn among the elite, as Williams made capital from the sport’s new regulations.
Finishing in the top 10 in every round he finished, [Monaco the only exception] Bottas scored a total of six podiums to secure a mightily impressive fourth place in the championship.
Bottas continued to impress in 2015 and ’16, before Nico Rosberg’s impromptu post-title-winning retirement opened up the biggest door possible.
From 2017, Bottas spent the next five seasons with the German marque, taking his first win his just his fourth race with the team in Sochi.
He would follow this up with wins in Austria and Abu Dhabi, and until his departure from the team at the end of 2021, Bottas scored a further seven victories in his role as a perfect foil for Lewis Hamilton.
Perez’s F1 career has perhaps been more chequered. Joining Ferrari in 2010 as a member of its academy, he was signed by its customer team Sauber for the 2011 season.
Showing his raw speed immediately, Perez went a step further in 2012, taking three podiums across the year, which caught the attention of McLaren.
Replacing Lewis Hamilton, Perez was thrown into a new environment, and his occasional hot-headedness saw flashes of contention between himself and team-mate Jenson Button.
It would prove to be a step too far at a young age, and 2014 saw him join Force India, the team that he would call home for the next eight seasons.
There, Perez grew into a more mature driver, and often showed speed as well as consistency, as it transitioned into Racing Point from 2019.
It seems that he had done virtually everything aside win a Grand Prix, but at the 194th attempt, it finally came in Hollywood-esque circumstances in Bahrain.
In the Covid-hit 2020 season, Perez looked in contention for victory at the Sakhir Grand Prix, but a collision with Charles Leclerc saw him drop from second to last early on.
But with some expert driving and some good fortune, Perez managed to work his way through to the lead and held it for a memorable first ever win.
His performances caught the attention of Red Bull, which signed him to take its second seat alongside Max Verstappen.
The Mexican’s experience enabled the team to enter its second successful period, his brilliant defencive driving at the final round in Abu Dhabi contributed to Verstappen’s controversial title win over Hamilton.
Third place in 2022 was followed up with second in 2023, helping Red Bull secure the Constructors’ Championship two years in a row.
But amid the team’s regression in performance in 2024, Perez’s form suffered, and despite Verstappen winning the title, Perez could only manage eighth, and would ultimately pay for it with his drive.
This has condemned Perez to a 2025 on the sidelines, and, like Bottas, has been linked with a number of different drives as the year has progressed.
But now the speculation is over, and the message appears to be clear: Bottas and Perez are back and are here to stay with Cadillac, and for the first time in over 500 combined Grands Prix, as team-mates.
READ MORE – Why Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez is the sensible debut F1 driver line-up for Cadillac
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