Cadillac Chooses Pair Of Veterans For Grizzled 2026 F1 Driver Lineup

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After a rocky roadworthy to nan world title that involved sidelining Michael Andretti, Formula 1's newest squad is trusting its first on-track run to knowledgeable hands. The Cadillac F1 Team announced connected Tuesday that it signed Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez to title for nan squad successful 2026. The American team's debut lineup will person a mixed 26 seasons of F1 acquisition and will apt beryllium nan oldest driver pairing connected nan grid. Both drivers will beryllium 36 years aged erstwhile adjacent play originates successful Australia.

Bottas and Pérez signed multi-year deals to thrust for Cadillac. Both drivers spent caller spells astatine front-running teams successful number-two roles to world champions: Pérez raced for four seasons pinch Red Bull Racing, finishing 2nd successful nan 2023 standings, while Bottas spent five seasons astatine Mercedes, finishing 2nd successful nan title doubly successful 2019 and 2020 to Lewis Hamilton. Cadillac has made it clear that nan squad wants to build itself astir this guidelines of experience. Team Principal Graeme Lowdon said:

"Signing 2 very knowledgeable racers for illustration Bottas and Checo is simply a bold awesome of intent. They've seen it each and they cognize what it takes to win successful Formula 1. But much importantly, they understand what it intends to thief build a team."

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Signing knowledgeable drivers is simply a proven strategy for upstart F1 teams acclimating to nan championship's relentless crucible. However, nan veterans are seldom astir to spot nan occurrence of their efforts. Red Bull Racing signed 2001 runner-up David Coulthard from McLaren for nan team's debut successful 2005. Coulthard would yet measurement speech for Sebastian Vettel, who went connected to triumph 4 world championships astatine Red Bull. Mercedes employed seven-time champion Michael Schumacher for its mill return successful 2010. The German squad signed Lewis Hamilton to switch a retiring Schumacher 3 years later. Hamilton won six of nan pursuing 8 championships.

Only clip will show if Cadillac's efforts salary disconnected pinch nan squad pursuing successful nan steps of Red Bull and Mercedes. We don't moreover cognize if Bottas and Pérez will beryllium astir agelong capable to thrust a Cadillac-powered F1 car. The fledgling squad will usage Ferrari powerfulness units until its ain are already. The American shaper expects its powerfulness portion to debut successful 2028. The team's customer position was a monolithic obstacle successful getting its introduction approved by Formula One Management.