The announcement of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez as Cadillac’s drivers for 2026 was not a surprising one. Both had been linked to the American team, and both bring extensive experience and success from their time at Mercedes and Red Bull, respectively.
With Bottas being dropped by Sauber and Perez by Red Bull after last season, neither was able to secure a full-time drive in 2025. However, they were immediately considered good options for a number of teams heading into 2026.
At the moment, it appears that the Finnish and Mexican drivers are viewed as equal in terms of their current ability. There is no clear number one driver on Cadillac, but that may end up posing an issue as the 2026 season gets underway.
A fight for No. 1 may deter Cadillac’s plans
Obviously, 2026 will be crucial for the grid’s 11th and newest team as they look to get all of their operations going. In this learning period, Cadillac cannot afford many setbacks, one of which could be a fight on track between their two drivers.
With no main driver established, chances are Bottas and Perez would both want that designation, especially for the sake of their success, after having effectively served as No. 2 drivers at their former teams for extended periods of time.
What that may entitle them to varies from team to team, but most commonly, it would be first access to upgrades, which can be very impactful at any given race weekend.
As Cadillac look to understand their car, power unit, and other inner workings, the biggest thing they would want to prevent is fierce wheel-to-wheel racing between their drivers. Running the risk of an accident is acceptable in most cases, but it does not necessarily suit Cadillac’s development plan.
Arguably, the biggest fear a new team faces is having things go massively wrong, effectively forcing them to fall out of Formula 1. It is why there was a fair amount of hesitation in adding an 11th team to the grid. Ultimately, it is up to Cadillac’s management to manage potential tension that may arise between Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, as it may slow the team’s overall development.