Paris, France (AFP) — Former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez and 10-time grand prix victor Valtteri Bottas will drive for Cadillac next season in what the new Formula One team described on Tuesday as “a bold signal of intent.”

The experienced pair with over 500 grand prix starts between them will be making a return to the grid in 2026, after being dropped this year, for the American outfit, which becomes F1’s 11th team on the grid.

Perez, the winner of six grand prix, was sacked by Red Bull as Max Verstappen’s teammate at the end of last season despite two years of the Mexican’s contract still to run.

All of Bottas’ wins came during his time with Mercedes alongside Lewis Hamilton. The Finn raced for Sauber in 2024 and this term has acted as Mercedes’ reserve driver.

Cadillac is looking to the two veterans — Perez is 35 and Bottas turns 36 on Thursday — to help them make a flying start to life in the fast lane.

“Signing two very experienced racers like Bottas and Checo is a bold signal of intent,” said team principal Graeme Lowdon.

“They’ve seen it all and they know what it takes to succeed in Formula 1. But more importantly, they understand what it means to help build a team,” Lowden added in a team statement.

“Their leadership, feedback, race-hardened instincts, and of course their speed will be invaluable as we bring this team to life.”

Mark Reuss, the president of Cadillac’s parent company General Motors, said the decision was based on the drivers’ experience of wins and podiums in F1.

He described Cadillac’s driver pairing as “a really good winning combination.”

Dan Towriss, chief executive officer of GM’s partner TWG Global, said: “Their experience, leadership, and technical acumen are what we need.

“We’re humbled by their belief in us and this project.

“There is a young pool of drivers who are exciting and very talented so it was a tough decision. But it was the leadership of these two drivers that stood out.”

‘Long-term vision’

Perez said it was an “honour” to help Cadillac take its first steps in the sport.

“Cadillac is a legendary name in American motorsport, and to help bring such a fantastic company to Formula 1 is a huge responsibility, one I’m confident of taking on,” the Mexican noted in the team’s statement.

Bottas, who played an instrumental role in Mercedes winning the team world championship every year from 2017 to 2021, echoed his new teammate’s excitement at the challenge.

“This isn’t just a racing project; it’s a long-term vision. It’s not every day that you get a chance to be part of something being built from the ground up and helping shape it into something that truly belongs on the F1 grid,” the Finn said.

Cadillac’s entry into F1 was confirmed by motorsport’s governing body, the FIA, in March.

The US team, backed by TWG Motorsports and GM, followed F1’s rejection of a bid by another US team with links to Cadillac, Andretti.

The new team’s engines will initially be supplied by Ferrari, but GM has agreed to build its own engine in the future.

Cadillac will operate out of three hubs: Indiana and North Carolina in the US, and Silverstone in England.