Cadillac’s F1 drivers eye fast climb despite tough debut in 2026

Cadillac’s long-anticipated entry into Formula 1 is edging closer, and with it comes both excitement and realism from the two drivers tasked with spearheading the project.

Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, both proven race winners with years of experience at the sport’s top level, were confirmed on Tuesday as the headline names for the new American squad, which joins the grid in 2026.

The pair are under no illusions about the scale of the challenge. Cadillac, operating under the dual umbrella of General Motors and TWG Motorsports, will be the first new entrant since Haas arrived on the grid in 2016, and history shows that building a competitive F1 team from scratch has never been an overnight process.

The squad will initially rely on Ferrari power before introducing its own works engine in 2029, a timeline that demands patience from both its drivers and its fans.

Yet if patience is required, belief is equally abundant. Bottas and Perez both stressed that while Cadillac may endure a tough start in its debut season, the resources, structure, and wealth of experience being assembled give every reason to expect progress at a far quicker pace than skeptics might predict.

For two drivers entering the latter stages of their careers, the goal is clear: to enjoy the climb and be part of a project designed to grow fast and succeed.

Bottas: “We’re not there to stay at the back”

Bottas insists Cadillac’s F1 project is not being launched to simply make up the numbers on the grid, even if he concedes the team’s debut in 2026 will come with teething troubles.

“With Checo we can definitely guide [the team] in the right direction,” Bottas told the media.

“Of course, we're realistic. It's gonna be a mountain of work to do and it's gonna be probably a difficult start because it is F1, but we're not there to stay at the back.

"We don't want to finish last and I believe with this structure, with this group, with these people, there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to get relatively quickly up to the pace and that way enjoy some success.

“We still have quite a few years left in the tank with Checo, I think the goal is to enjoy the success together, eventually when we get there.”

Perez: “We want to move forward as quickly as possible”

Perez echoed Bottas’ realism but argued that Cadillac’s scale and expertise across its racing operation meant the project had all the right foundations to climb the F1 ladder sooner rather than later.

“We want to move forward as quickly as possible,” Perez said. “We know we [Bottas and I] don't have the time on our side.

“But we also can be a big surprise, because if you see with the drivers we're bringing as much experience as possible, but also the commitment, and this is the same for all the areas in the team.

“It's a new team but there's plenty of experience in the team in the engineering departments, mechanics.

“Everyone has a lot of experience in the sport, so definitely, I believe in the project that we can move quickly forward.”

Both Bottas and Perez, now 35, are mindful of their own career timelines, but believe the combination of their experience and Cadillac’s heavyweight backing can fast-track competitiveness.

For both veterans, the message is clear: Cadillac’s start may be modest, but they expect the rise up the grid to be anything but slow.

Read also:

Perez: ‘Nothing to prove’, everything to enjoy with Cadillac

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