The Cadillac Project: Youth vs Experience
26 September 2025Cadillac will join the Formula 1 grid in 2026, bringing an 11th team to the sport for the first time since 2016.
The American team plans to eventually provide its own power units, produced by General Motors, in 2028 or 2029. Initially, however, the team will utilise Ferrari as its works partner.
Being a new team in F1 comes with challenges, especially for a team that aims to be competitive from the outset. For Cadillac, the way to get ahead is by employing two experienced drivers, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas. Both veteran drivers have been confirmed for the team.
This raised questions from fans about why Cadillac chose an older, experienced driver line-up over the growing pool of talent emerging from the feeder series. Yet, the decision is one that makes sense for the entirely new operation, providing the team with a unique perspective that can only be gained from drivers who have spent decades in the sport.
Sergio Perez first entered F1 in 2011, racing with Sauber, McLaren, Force India/Racing Point, and Red Bull in a career that spanned 281 F1 race starts. In his tenure, he amassed six Grand Prix victories and 39 podiums, finishing the 2023 F1 season as the championship runner-up.
Perez is 35 years old and has raced alongside some of the greatest drivers of the modern era, including being teammates with Max Verstappen.
His career with Red Bull ended after struggling in the RB20, while Verstappen continued to thrive. When he was released from the team, it seemed as though it would be the Mexican driver’s last contract in F1, especially considering the poor performance he left the season with. However, the Red Bull ‘second driver’ struggles continued past Perez’s tenure. Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda both failed to match Verstappen’s speed.
With that came a renewed opportunity for Perez, not only offering him a new life for his F1 career but also an opportunity to be part of a brand-new project, leading it in the early stages.
Alongside him will be equally experienced Valtteri Bottas. With 246 races, the Finnish driver’s career spans 12 seasons, driving for Williams, Mercedes, and Alfa Romeo/Stake.
In his career, he took ten wins, 20 pole positions, 19 fastest laps, and 67 podiums. The majority of which were achieved in his tenure at Mercedes alongside Lewis Hamilton.
However, when Mercedes set its sights on George Russell as the future of their team, Bottas moved to Alfa Romeo, exchanging front-row starts, podium finishes, and victories for positions at the edge of the points.
With Sauber leaving the sport to become Audi, Bottas lost his place, and the Finn exited with little hope of return.
Much like Perez, the Cadillac project is the duo’s final opportunity. Both drivers, having lost previous seats, can now rejoin the sport and help build the team from the ground up.
For Cadillac, the duo brings 26 seasons and over 500 race starts of experience. Their feedback will be crucial in developing the car and advancing the team. Unlike junior drivers who have very little experience in an F1 car, both Bottas and Perez are uniquely attuned to the operation of a championship-winning F1 team and recognise how a car should feel, making their feedback directly beneficial.
Perez is already beginning his testing for the team, split between the United States and the UK, ahead of the 2026 season.
Although Cadillac’s main reason for choosing two experienced drivers is to build the foundations of the team, it has also ensured the future by planning for youth and raw talent, contrary to the initial expectations of many.
Colton Herta was announced as the team's reserve driver. The 25-year-old IndyCar driver was the youngest to win an IndyCar race at age 18 and the American has found great success in the US series, fighting for wins and championships in recent years.
However, he has also been linked to F1 seats in the past. In 2023, Alpha Tauri was considering Herta for their second seat, but he was unable to make the move due to Super Licence points.
A driver needs 40 Super Licence points to compete in F1. Most drivers achieve this by racing in F2 and F3, where top placements secure the required points. However, IndyCar grants only a portion of the needed Super Licence points because it is not sanctioned by the FIA, despite it being an incredibly decorated, competitive Motorsport. For Herta, these points have notoriously been the hurdle to his reaching F1.
While stepping into the reserve driver role for 2026, Herta is also rumoured to be racing in F2. If he finishes in the top nine in the yearlong campaign, he will earn enough points to compete in F1.
This strategy enables Cadillac to secure an American driver for a future Formula 1 seat, a win for the second American team on the grid.
