Report: Cadillac to enter F1 in 2026 with veteran driver lineup

Cadillac is set to become the 11th team in Formula One next year. And as a newcomer in the sport, the American outfit is leaning towards the most experienced and proven free agent drivers for its debut season.

According to ESPN and Autosport, Cadillac will be set to announce Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez as its two drivers for the 2026 Formula One season. With new regulations taking effect next year, the experienced pair have a combined 16 race wins driving for F1’s most recent dynasty teams.

The 35-year old Perez is currently on a break from Formula One after being dropped by Red Bull at the end of last season. Perez won five of his six grand prix wins with Red Bull, but since then, the Mexican has struggled to match Max Verstappen’s performances in the sister Red Bull car. However, replacement drivers Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda have proved to have struggled more than the Mexican in terms of pace.

Bottas, on the other hand, is currently the reserve driver for Mercedes AMG after a two-year stint at Sauber. The 35-year old Finn has 10 grand prix wins under his belt and has finished as high as 2nd overall in the drivers’ standings in 2019 and 2020. Both drivers are set to have equal status at Cadillac.

General Motors was granted entry to F1 as an 11th team last year and opted to join under the Cadillac brand. The team will be based in both the UK and the US, with former Manor team principal Graeme Lowdon at the helm. Cadillac will initially run Ferrari engines while General Motors is developing its own power unit that will race by the end of the decade.

The formal announcement for Cadillac’s driver lineup is expected to happen at this week’s Dutch Grand Prix.