The new Formula 1 team from Cadillac has secured its first driver for the 2026 season. The American racing stable has reached an agreement with Valtteri Bottas. Multiple sources in the paddock have since confirmed the news. The team is reportedly close to finalizing a deal with Sergio Pérez, former teammate of Max Verstappen at Red Bull, for the second seat.
The 35-year-old Finn, who has ten Grand Prix victories to his name, is thus making his return to the Formula 1 grid. Bottas has been active with Alfa Romeo/Sauber in recent years and is serving as a reserve driver for Mercedes this season, where he raced from 2017 to 2021. At Mercedes, he primarily serves as a mentor for rookie Kimi Antonelli.
Bottas’s official presentation by Cadillac is expected to take place next week, around the Dutch GP in Zandvoort. In the run-up to its debut in 2026, the team plans to conduct several TPC tests (testing of previous cars), likely with an older Ferrari, to prepare for its entry into the sport.
Cadillac is led by team boss Graeme Lowdon, who knows Bottas well. In recent years, Lowdon has acted as the manager of Zhou Guanyu, Bottas’s former teammate at Sauber. Whether Bottas will immediately end his current role at Mercedes is unclear.
