Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas are set for a return to Formula One next season after Cadillac announced the signing of the experienced duo as the team's debut driver pairing.
The Mexican and Finn drivers have multi-year deals, the General Motors-backed outfit said on Tuesday without providing further details.
Perez, a six-times race winner, and Bottas, who took 10 victories for Mercedes, are both 35 and have unfinished business after being dropped by the Red Bull and Sauber teams respectively in 2024.
The announcement was expected, although some younger prospects had been touted.
“We believe their experience, their leadership and their technical acumen are really what we need,” team CEO Dan Towriss said.
“It's the right combination – the right drivers at the right time – and we're humbled by their belief in us in this project.”
Perez and Bottas represent a safe and obvious choice for the team's debut.
The pair are both multiple race winners, have more than 500 starts between them and were championship runners-up alongside two of the sport's all-time greats – Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
Cadillac could not have chosen more experienced drivers to lead their opening campaign and help the sport's 11th team negotiate the pitfalls of what will undoubtedly be a challenging start.
To that extent, signing such expertise is something of a coup.
“There are a ton of amazing drivers out there. Ultimately it was this experience and leadership of these two individuals that stood out among the rest,” Towriss said.
Perez said it was an “honour” to help Cadillac take their first steps in the sport.
“Cadillac is a legendary name in American motorsport, and to help bring such a fantastic company to Formula One is a huge responsibility, one I'm confident of taking on,” the Mexican driver said in the team's statement.
Bottas echoed his new teammate's excitement at the challenge.
“This isn't just a racing project; it's a long-term vision. It's not every day that you get a chance to be part of something being built from the ground up and helping shape it into something that truly belongs on the F1 grid,” the Finn said.
Cadillac's entry into F1 was confirmed by motorsport's governing body the FIA in March. The new team's engines will initially be supplied by Ferrari but GM have agreed to build its own engine in the future.
Towriss said it was also important to ensure a pathway into Formula One for an American driver and Cadillac would be working on that.
