By Alan Baldwin
LONDON (Reuters) -Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, announced on Tuesday as Cadillac's 2026 driver lineup, represent a safe and obvious choice for the General Motors-backed team's debut Formula One season.
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 -- and the inside knowledge of what makes a winning team -- is something of a coup.
"It's the right combination, the right drivers at the right time," team CEO Dan Towriss told reporters after announcing multi-year deals for both.
"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."
There has been speculation about the drivers since Cadillac's entry was announced last year, but in the end there was no real surprise in choosing two men who will be 36 before next season starts.
Those who had hoped for an American, at a works team proudly flying the U.S. flag and with facilities in Indianapolis and Charlotte, will have to wait.
So too will those hoping to see Cadillac serve as a springboard for a youngster making the step up.
The list of such talents included Brazilian Felipe Drugovich, Denmark's Frederik Vesti, Australian Jack Doohan, China's Guanyu Zhou, Irish F2 prospect Alex Dunne and American rival Jak Crawford.
Mick Schumacher, 26-year-old son of seven-times world champion Michael, was also seen as a possible candidate after being discarded by Haas at the end of 2022 and switching to endurance racing.
"Despite the amount of experience that we have on the team, everybody's new," said Towriss. "Everybody's working together for the first time.
"And so we think that the experience that these two drivers bring are really what's most important."
Perez is a free agent and immediately available while Bottas attends races as Mercedes reserve driver, a role that needs clarifying.
Both were dropped by their previous teams, Red Bull and Sauber respectively, at the end of 2024 but Cadillac was not the only show in town.
Towriss said it was also important to ensure a pathway into Formula One for an American driver and Cadillac would be working on that, and had spent a lot of time debating the value of experience over youth.
General Motors president Mark Reuss said ultimately experience carried the day over all other considerations, even the levels of support both can bring.
"The market in Mexico is a big deal for General Motors and, frankly, North America," he added. "We sell a lot of cars in Mexico. The fan base there is absolutely enthusiastic... so those are side benefits."
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge)
