Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez are back in F1 with Cadillac

Here’s some new news to welcome you back into the race weekend: the Cadillac F1 Team, the 11th Formula 1 team to join the grid in the upcoming 2026 season, has finally announced its two drivers.

And both surprisingly and unsurprisingly, we’re seeing the return of two prolific drivers in Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas joining the brand-new Cadillac constructor.

For those who remember, Perez was meant to race with Red Bull Racing until 2026, but due to a series of events (poor performances and inter-team drama), the two-year contract was terminated at the end of the 2024 season.

On the other hand, Bottas’ last full-time race was with Sauber back in 2024, followed by a one-year stint where he returned to Mercedes-AMG as a reserve driver.

Oddly enough, Bottas has incurred a five-place grid penalty after a collision with Kevin Magnussen during the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and the FIA has confirmed that he will have to serve his penalty at the next race, meaning he will be put at a disadvantage at the start of the season.

Before you dismiss them, Cadillac is very competitive in endurance racing, having won five races, a single constructor’s and driver’s championship. The newly-formed Cadillac F1 team has announced that they will be using Ferrari power units and gearboxes as a customer while they eventually plan to develop their own in future seasons, and they will be led by Greame Lowdon as Team Principal, who was the former Virgin Racing and Marussia F1 team CEO back in the day.

Photos from Formula 1 and Cadillac F1 Team