By DCB Editorial, August 20, 2025
Cadillac’s impending entry into Formula 1 is shaping up less like a gamble on youthful promise and more like a calculated bet on experience. The American marque is closing in on securing Valtteri Bottas alongside Sergio Perez for its 2026 debut — a driver pairing that may not set pulses racing, but could prove invaluable for a rookie team navigating the sport’s brutal learning curve.
Bottas, a steady hand with nine wins and a crucial role in Mercedes’ dominant years, is poised for a comeback after a season in the shadows as a reserve. Perez, meanwhile, brings the weight of Red Bull championship credentials, plus the commercial pull of one of F1’s most marketable drivers.
Together, they offer over 500 races’ worth of know-how — precisely the kind of ballast a fledgling operation needs when it can’t yet match the front-runners on pace or resources. Critics may lament Cadillac’s conservatism in passing over hungry rookies like Felipe Drugovich or Jak Crawford, but this isn’t about discovering the next Max Verstappen.
It’s about survival, stability, and credibility in a cutthroat sport where even giants stumble. By picking Bottas and Perez, Cadillac is signalling that its first priority is to learn, endure, and establish itself — only then can it dream of glory.
