Valtteri Bottas says Cadillac’s courtship started long before Tuesday’s unveiling. The Finn, introduced alongside Sergio Perez as the new team’s first driver line-up, revealed he’d been talking to team principal Graeme Lowdon since 2023 — and decided “early this year” that he wanted in.
“The first talks we had with Graeme about this opportunity was about two years ago,” Bottas told select media after the announcement. “He’s always kept me in touch on how things are going. Then, early on this year, it was clear for me that this is what I want. I want to be part of this great brand, this start‑up Formula 1 team — but with great structure and big goals. I’m here to give everything I have to the team with Checo. We can definitely guide [it] in the right direction.”
Perez and Bottas had been front‑runners for the seats as Cadillac’s long bid to join the grid finally cleared its hurdles earlier this year. The operation, initially approved under the Andretti banner in early 2024, will line up in 2026 when F1’s new chassis and power unit rules arrive — a clean slate that suits an ambitious newcomer.
Lowdon leaned into the experience narrative without letting it define his drivers. “We will talk a lot about experience,” he said, “but I should stress as well: these guys are quick. They’re not hired just for the number of grands prix they’ve entered. That experience is important, but these are two very, very quick race drivers.”
Bottas, who spent five seasons at Mercedes and helped deliver Constructors’ titles while collecting 10 wins, moved to Sauber to lead a rebuild that later pivoted with Audi’s arrival. In 2025 he’s been on the sidelines without a race seat, but his profile remains exactly what a new entrant needs: calm, proven, and unflappable when the garage catches fire — metaphorically, one hopes.
He’s not sugar-coating the task ahead. “Of course we’re realistic,” Bottas said. “It’s going to be a mountain of work, and it’s probably a difficult start because it is Formula 1. But we’re not there to stay at the back. We don’t want to finish last. With this structure, with this group, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to get, relatively quickly, on the pace.”
On paper, Perez and Bottas bring 16 wins and a century-plus of podium fights, but more importantly they arrive with muscle memory for front-running standards and the patience to build. For Cadillac, that’s the point. This isn’t a marketing splash; it’s a foundation. If the car’s respectable out of the box in 2026, you’ll know why — they hired grown‑ups to drive it.
