Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez have exercised realism for the early stages of the Cadillac Formula 1 project, amid their excitement at being back on the grid.
The F1 veterans were announced on Tuesday as the two drivers tasked with helping the American marque take its first steps in the sport, and helping it move up the grid.
It brought a swift end to speculation as to which drivers the Silverstone-based squad would eventually hire for its two seats, amid rumour they would opt for one younger driver.
But with over 500 Grand Prix starts between them, the Finn and the Mexican are both steeped in stature and experience, which Cadillac will need if it is to succeed in F1.
Bottas will return after a year out of racing after losing his seat with Sauber,, during which time he has spent being reserve driver for his previous employer, Mercedes.
Speaking to media after the announcement, Bottas acknowledged that, whilst he is chomping at the bit to get going, he is aware the teams need to walk before it can run.
“Early on this year, it was clear for me that this is what I want,” he said. “I want to be part of this great brand, this start-up Formula 1 team, but with a great structure and big goals.
“I’m here to give everything I have to the team. With Checo, we can definitely guide in the right direction. Of course, we’re realistic.
“It’s going to be a mountain of work to do and it’s going to be probably a difficult start. But we’re not there to stay at the back. We don’t want to finish last.
“There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to get relatively quickly up to the pace and that way enjoy some success.
“We still have quite a few years left in the tank with Checo, I think. So, the goal is to enjoy the success together eventually when we get there.”
Perez targets wins and points as endgame of Cadillac ‘project’
Perez, somewhat similar to Bottas, has something to prove, perhaps even more so, given the nature of how his own hiatus from F1 began.
After a difficult 2024 that saw him finished just eighth in the championship, he was fired by Red Bull, so late that he was condemned to a year on the sidelines.
Now secure with a drive for next year, Perez is, like Bottas, full of enthusiasm about the task ahead, but realises success is at the backend of its plans.
“I had a very difficult year, especially my final year with Red Bull,” he said. “This is a sport I love and I want to get back to enjoying it.
“This project brings that excitement back because I’m able to use all my years of experience, the different teams I work with, to try to help this team move forward.
“It was very important to have this time off, especially because it only became clear towards the end of the year that I was not going to continue with Red Bull.
“So instead of jumping into something just for staying on the grid, I needed that time back to disconnect myself from the sport a bit and to understand what I really want next in my career.
“It was very clear for me in the beginning, especially the first couple of months, what I wanted to do next.
“The more I was talking to the Cadillac team, the more it became apparent that this is what excites me to go back.
“It’s a project itself. It’s just not going back to the grid with a regular team to fight for podiums and races and points. This is a whole project.”
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