With Valtteri Bottas in as the first driver of Cadillac, we're still waiting for the second driver of the new Formula 1 team to be announced. The name of Sergio Perez is becoming more and more prominent, although there is no signed agreement (yet), according to GPblog. If the Mexican also decides to drive for the Americans, this would mean a heap of experience returning to F1.
Certainly, there are critics who think that Cadillac should give young talents a chance instead of bringing veterans Bottas and Perez back from the sidelines - two drivers who had no place on the F1 grid by 2025.
Indeed, Cadillac has been looking at youth, such as Felipe Drugovich (Aston Martin reserve), Jak Crawford (Aston Martin development driver), and Alex Dunne (McLaren).
A logical decision from Cadillac
From Cadillac's point of view, it makes sense to sideline youth for now and opt for experienced men.
After all, the first year is sure to be a learning curve, needing drivers who are accustomed to the ups and downs of Formula 1, possess the necessary technical knowledge, and can bring the car safely over the finish line during what's expected to be a difficult season.
A rookie like Dunne would have his hands full acclimatizing to the sport, finding his place and yes, this includes mistakes and crashes.
This is something a team in its inception like Cadillac could do without.
Therefore, the switch to Perez and Bottas is understandable given the relative reassurance they bring.
Perez could already test for Cadillac
It's already certain that Bottas is joining Cadillac. The same is not true for Perez, but he also seems to be gearing up for a comeback.
Unlike Bottas, Max Verstappen's former teammate at Red Bull Racing could get started with Cadillac soon.
This year, Cadillac wants to conduct Tests with Previous Cars (TPC), modified Ferrari vehicles, to try out a number of crucial matters.
Bottas seems unable to carry out these tasks, because he remains under the employment of Mercedes this year, according to GPblog earlier this week.
Because of this complexity, it would make sense to have Perez come onboard, who brings prior experience - unlike Dunne or Crawford.
Cadillac's announcements are expected in the coming weeks, after which the team can truly gear up for their highly-anticipated entry into Formula 1.
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