With Formula 1’s newest team in Cadillac placing faith in Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, what do both experienced race winners have to prove with the American outfit’s project?
Both Perez and Bottas spent a year on the sidelines after departing the sport from Red Bull and Sauber, respectively, but have returned to spearhead Cadillac into F1’s new era.
But both drivers also have a point to prove with their return to the pinnacle of motorsport and their own unfinished business after unceremonious exits from their former employers.
Perez’s final season at Red Bull was marred by uncompetitiveness, finishing eighth in the Drivers’ Championship in 2024 while team-mate Max Verstappen romped to a fourth straight title.
For Bottas, while his exit from Sauber seemed friendly and nothing out of the ordinary, a change of management at Sauber began its transition into the new Audi project meant the Finn was dropped as Sauber cleaned out its driver line-up for 2025.
With a combined 547 race starts between them, the pair make up the most experienced pairing on the grid as well as the oldest, but neither driver is just here to make up the numbers.
The chance to finally be No.1 for Bottas
For a man with 10 career wins and 67 visits to the podium, Bottas’ career, especially in the latter stages of his Mercedes stint, was marred by the running joke of being nothing but a second driver, having to give up multiple wins for team-mate Lewis Hamilton as the Briton surged to title after title alongside the Finn.
Despite this, Bottas never seemed too fazed by his position within the Silver Arrows and, on his day, could beat Hamilton fair and square and arguably had the raw speed to be a champion.
After leaving Mercedes, Bottas moved to the Sauber outfit in 2022 and guided the Swiss-based team to its best Constructors’ Championship finish since 2012.
And when the news broke that Audi would be taking over the Sauber team, Bottas was in a prime position to become the leader of the new project, something he was promised by senior management.
However, in mid-2024, there was a major shake-up behind the scenes in the Audi project, with original project chairman Oliver Hoffmann stepping aside, with Andreas Seidl also making way for former Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto to take the helm.
This shift in management also meant that the promises made to Bottas were undone, and the Finn was axed from the Sauber team completely come the end of 2024.
Bottas was always a name on the cards when the Cadillac project was announced, and his announcement came as no surprise.
For Cadillac, Bottas provides an experienced level head for a new team, and for Bottas, it provides the opportunity to finally take that leadership position that he was promised by Audi.
The chance for Perez to put Red Bull collapse behind him
Like Bottas, Perez spent much of his final years within a top team as the butt of the joke, being consistently well beaten by Verstappen as he smashed several records.
The Mexican had looked like a solid inclusion to the Red Bull setup, especially in the early stages of the ground effect era.
However, there seemed to be a shift in Perez’s form midway through 2023, something he failed to improve come 2024.
While Verstappen was out dominating races and picking up championships with ease, Perez was fighting just to even make it out of Q1 on occasion.
It came as no surprise that with no uptick in performance coming from the six-time race winner and a resurgent McLaren surpassing Red Bull, he was dropped.
His replacements have done even worse, though, with Liam Lawson and now Yuki Tsunoda producing just seven points between them so far in 2025.
The continued struggles for the second Red Bull seat have eased not just Cadillac’s but Perez’s worries about his talent as he gears up to return to the F1 grid.
“I feel like there’s nothing to prove. Not just because of the current drivers or the next drivers that were in my seat but even before that,” he said.
“Now everyone forgets about it, but it’s been a very tricky place to be in, to constantly be adapting, to build confidence mentally. It’s a very unique challenge.
“To me, it’s more of a comeback to enjoy the sport. I want to enjoy the sport that I love, the sport that has given me so much.
“I couldn’t afford to leave the way I left the sport, and this is why I’m coming back with this new project, I hope it’s a very successful one.”
What Cadillac can hope from them both
While both drivers have their own points to prove and will surely want to quickly establish themselves as a leader amongst the fledgling Cadillac adventure, the American marque will surely be delighted in having two experienced peddlers to guide them through the harsh F1 world.
Depending on how well Cadillac can hit the ground running in 2026 will decide what will be required from both Perez and Bottas, whether it simply be making sure the cars finish the race or quickly jumping into the deep end in a frantic fight for points as all the teams learn to adapt to the new regulations.
As well as this, the General Motors-backed squad has avoided a scenario with an unknown rookie to F1, either not providing good enough feedback or having too many financially damaging moments as the whole team adapts to not only the new regulations but to the sport as a whole.
Whatever the case may be, it looks like Cadillac is in safe hands as it embarks on its voyage into the unknown in the ever-changing seas of F1.
READ MORE – Why Cadillac opted against signing American driver for F1 debut
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