Bottas at Cadillac, Perez not: these are the candidates for spot two!
For a long time, Sergio Perez was the leading candidate to make his comeback in Formula 1 with Cadillac. However, it becomes more uncertain by the day that the former teammate of Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing will make his comeback with the Americans.
An insider in Formula 1 made no mistake about it. Speaking to GPblog, this well-known name in the sport said they understood a driver wanting to join Cadillac in 2026 simply because it's Formula 1. But this expert added: “But if it were my son, I would absolutely forbid him.”
Not only this insider, but almost the entire F1 paddock expects Cadillac to be bad in 2026. Very bad, in fact. The team reportedly only consists of about 400 people, whereas an average F1 team has 1000 employees. And those who are on board are not yet the absolute top performers that Cadillac needs for the development of their first F1 car.
Bottas knows the challenge at Cadillac
When Valtteri Bottas signs his contract with Cadillac soon, the former vice-champion is fully aware of how tough the task will be; probably racing at the back for a year. But the Finn signs with his full knowledge, because he loves racing and believes he can help the team with his experience and technical knowledge.
There are also drivers who don't want to be a lap down for a whole year. Perhaps even two. Sergio Perez seems to be one of them, as it becomes increasingly unrealistic that the Mexican will come out of his (enforced) F1 retirement to race with Cadillac.
The American team is currently looking much more strongly for a second driver who sees Cadillac as the ideal entry into Formula 1. The name of Felipe Drugovich frequently comes up; the reserve driver for Aston Martin who previously raced for Cadillac in the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
These drivers are on Cadillac's radar
In addition, Formula 2 driver Jak Crawford himself confirmed talks with Cadillac. Alex Dunne - currently a McLaren junior - can also count on the Americans' interest. These are all young drivers, hoping to have a whole future in Formula 1 ahead of them. For them, Cadillac is an attractive next step, because fighting with Bottas internally can position you well among other teams.
In contrast to Sergio Perez, who has nothing to gain from Cadillac in his twilight years and much more to lose.
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