Cadillac are now less than six months away from watching Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas take to the grid at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix.
Every current F1 team has turned their attention to the 2026 regulation changes, but Cadillac are in a unique situation.
With no current car to work on, 100% of team principal Graeme Lowdon’s attention is on next season.
Cadillac are recruiting as quickly as possible to be in a position to compete next year, but also to attain some of the knowledge that other teams have already acquired.
It’s also why the American outfit decided to bring in the two most experienced out-of-work drivers ahead of 2026.
Valtteri Bottas has been working as Mercedes’ reserve driver and could bring some valuable insight from one of the teams expected to be at the front of the grid next year.
Alongside Bottas, Sergio Perez brings 281 Grand Prix starts worth of experience with him after a tough end to his time at Red Bull.
Perez has an advantage over Bottas when it comes to preparing for next year, as he doesn’t have any other commitments, and now, Cadillac are starting to benefit from his presence.
READ MORE: Cadillac driver Sergio Perez’s life outside F1 from net worth to nickname
Sergio Perez already doing ‘invaluable’ simulator work behind the scenes at Cadillac
A report from Motorsport has shared more details about the work being done by Perez since he was announced as a Cadillac driver.
The Mexican driver has had to do plenty of press as Cadillac try to engage with a North American audience before next season.
However, he’s already tried out Cadillac’s simulator in Charlotte, which has been adapted from their IndyCar rig.
It’s believed that the simulator work Perez did was ‘invaluable’, as it allowed Cadillac to understand how well their tools are currently working, but also provided some input on their 2026 car.
| ENTRIES (STARTS) | WINS | POLES | PODIUMS | FASTEST LAPS | POINTS | BEST CHAMP POSITION |
| 285 (281) | 6 | 3 | 39 | 12 | 1,638 | 2nd (2023) |
Cadillac are simulating full race weekends alongside the current grid, even though they don’t have a presence in the paddock, and Perez will be able to assist with the processes and procedures needed for their first outing in Melbourne to be a success.
The 35-year-old has also visited Cadillac’s Silverstone, and Perez will drive a Ferrari as part of a TPC run in the coming months.
This is seen as a ‘precious opportunity’ for Perez to work on his physical condition after a year out of the sport.
READ MORE: All to know about General Motors’ Cadillac F1 team from engine to drivers
How Valtteri Bottas is expected to work with Cadillac alongside his Mercedes duties
While Perez is free to work with Cadillac immediately, Bottas’ situation is more complicated.
Mercedes and Cadillac reached an agreement with Bottas, but the Finn is still acting as reserve driver for Toto Wolff’s team until the end of the current campaign.
George Russell was close to missing the Azerbaijan Grand Prix due to illness, which would have seen Bottas make his second debut for Mercedes.
| TEAM | DRIVER 1 | DRIVER 2 |
| Alpine | Pierre Gasly | N/A |
| Aston Martin | Fernando Alonso | Lance Stroll |
| Audi | Gabriel Bortoleto | Nico Hulkenberg |
| Cadillac | Valtteri Bottas | Sergio Perez |
| Ferrari | Charles Leclerc | Lewis Hamilton |
| Haas | Esteban Ocon | Oliver Bearman |
| McLaren | Lando Norris | Oscar Piastri |
| Mercedes | N/A | N/A |
| Racing Bulls | N/A | N/A |
| Red Bull Racing | Max Verstappen | N/A |
| Williams | Alex Albon | Carlos Sainz |
Bottas now has ‘dedicated windows’ where he can focus on working with Cadillac ahead of next year.
This becomes more complicated once Cadillac have a car on track, particularly if Bottas is going to join Perez for a TPC run in an old Ferrari.
However, with more than 500 race starts between them, they’ve already proven that they have the professionalism to guide the team through the coming months before they become the 11th outfit in the paddock next year.