Cadilac new Sutra 1 The team will join the grid in 2026 with several fans familiar lineups: Sergio Perez and Waltere Botas.

It is an attempt and tested pair and, until Tuesday’s announcement, was the largest missing piece of the new team’s identity. Both have joined the multier contracts, what can be the most unstable part of the F1 team-Bilading Ara Puzzle while offering immediate stability to the new team.

While a popular pair, fans of the US Race may feel a tingling in the declaration, Cadilac first pointed to one of the two seats being filled by an American. So why did they choose the option to do so? How did they settle on Perez and Botas? And in 2026, what should be the expectation of a fair level for two men and their new team?

Why these two?

This decision is eventually boiled for logic that will be familiar with anyone participating in a fictional draft for any person: selecting the best available talents. The new team of Cadilac will face a learning state, which will join the grid at the beginning of a new set of aerodynamic and engine rules. The experience will be important for the team and will help to ensure that it is a ground -running hit.

This was clear from the words of Tuesday’s announcement. The pair, Cadilac said, “Bring an unmatched mixture of experience, leadership and technical skills.” Between them, they have 527 Grand Prix, 23 pole positions, 16 race win (and three sprint win for good remedies). The only other race winner who looked like a candidate was Daniel Reciardo (eight wins), but he quickly dropped himself out of the controversy, telling people that he privately consider to end his racing career. Sources have told ESPN that Cadilac has never formally contacted Ricardo, despite its popularity in the states, to see if he could change his mind.

The two drivers also have experience with various teams, as well as an insight into two most recent dynasties of F1: Mercedes (Botas) and Red Bull (Paraze). While both were team partners Lewis Hamilton And Max VerustapaneRespectively, as he won several world championships, both know what the gold standard is and out of the track. While Formula 1 has many magnificent minds, the pool of drivers and technicians with that kind of insight is really the smallest, which is the smallest. This experience will be priceless because Cadilac grows in its new role.

The team’s boss Graeme Lowdon cast the net far away, as much as he could talk to many drivers. Lowdon manages Chinese driver Zhou Gunu, who was a team partner of the team of Botas in Saubar between 2022 and 2024, meaning that his name seemed like a strong candidate, while Mick Schumakar was one of other names in the media in recent months. Sources close to the decision -making process have told ESPN that while there was a lot of conversation somewhere else, Cadilac was set from the initial stage to Perez and Botas.

The botas were eager to return immediately, pushed to one side on the saffron as it arrives close to its exciting new dawn with Audi. Cadilac is a good opportunity to return to an exciting new F1 project with elevated ambitions – and, this time, to be a central part of it. Finn teased his interest in the first year A social media video He reached a standing Cadilac Escalade near him and commented that it was a “good seat”.

Pérez was least confident. At the end of last year, the red bull hurt his infallible departure, the Mexican driver was not initially sure that he wanted to return to F1. For the first time in his adult life, the father of four was able to get off the hamster wheel of motor racing and get away from the grid – the sources said they found away from refreshing the game. Last week, Perez posted a carousel of his photos Instagram With a caption in Spanish, who reads, “I did not know that summer was long.”

The year of Perez includes a safari in Africa and a safari in Bermuda, Madrid, Punta Mita, Puerto Vallarta, Well and even in Disneyland. He also became a regular stability in his favorite club, Amrika’s football games, including watching matches in Las Vegas and Houston.

During all these, however, sources say the Perez was monitoring F1 very closely. First, he was alert to the future of his old team partner, Vastapane, and what effect his own options would be. If Vastapane triggered the exhaust segment widely reported in his contract and forced 2026 to Mercedes, it could open all kinds of opportunities as domino had fallen to adjust Dutchman’s move. Finally, this did not happen and the “silly weather” – the nickname given to the annual driver market of F1 – was not so silly after all.

With bootas, Parase had only one more serious option beyond the cadilac: alpine. Pierre Galli Signed with the team for 2026, but Franco Colapinto What is not Sources have said that Alpine contacted both drivers, and Some reports Earlier in summer it was suggested that Botas could replace Argentina struggling after the current summer break.

Eventually both sow and perez had the same concern when it came to Alpine’s interest. While next year the flounding team may improve as it goes to Mercedes’ engines, it has become clear and unclear by deciding the drivers. Sources have told ESPN that the team either cannot guarantee a quick decision to the driver, just below that it would be difficult to make the relationship with the sponsors brought in the team and the teams brought to the team quickly, which means that both of them put the land in the Alpine at risk and the cadilac completely disappeared, there was no guarantee. To highlight that uncertainty, a source with knowledge of Alpine’s thinking on the case has told ESPN that there is a good chance that Colapinto remains on the seat beyond this season.

Finally, Cadilac introduced some drivers for some tangible, immediate and more than the same season. It is understood that at least two other teams, with their lineup locked for the next season, told Perez that it would be in a dispute for something since 2027, but the risk of taking out another year was very good and, with Alpine, was very vague to pin their hopes. Finally, a multier deal bridge and the opportunity to get with a new team on the ground floor proved to be very strong.

What can be expected from Perez and Botas?

Cadilac’s new driver pairing is not only equipped with experience – both have a point to prove.

Perez was hurt by the company’s manner by Red Bull last year, and several sources with the knowledge of the situation said that their once positive relations with the former team’s chief Christian Horner were sour during that process. Perez’s reputation beat up one as his form with the former world champion in the last 18 months of his time, making a position more pronounced by the incredible consequences of Vastapane in the sister’s car. However, Vastapane was one of the first people to suggest that the issue was not perezed, but the car was created by Red Bull. The fact is that the successor of Perez Liam Lawson And Yuki Sunoda The team partner of Vastapane’s team has worsened how that situation is seen now. More and more, the spirit in the padock has increased that the red bull has not helped the perez as much as it can.

He returns to Cadilac who re -awakens some of his old forms. When he joined the Red Bull in 2021, he was considered one of the low talent on the grid, carrying it forward with a success victory in the penaltimet round in 2020 Nico hallkenberg In dispute to change Alex albonShe played a memorable role in the 2021 season of Vastapane, which gave himself a “Mexico Defense Minister” nickname for some of her rescue against Hamilton, including the infamous Abu Dhabi Grand Prix title title.

Botas left Mercedes at the end of that race and spent three forgetful weather with Saubh (called Alpha Romeo for the first two years). Although Saubh has been one of the current season’s feel-gud stories, the botas was when the results were ugly. With Cadilac, he has been given a second chance in a run in Formula 1, which could not seem possible when he was first booted by Sauber.

Why no American?

American teams have always been a clamor to see American talents, but the driver pool is not just enough, especially in the era of limited these-seasons. When he was leading the project that eventually became a cadilac, Michael Andreti clearly stated that he wanted to enter one of the two seats with an American driver, but as he was out of control and as General Motors had encouraged his own participation and commitment, which was downgraded for a desired purpose for a desired purpose.

The same question is used regularly about the decision of the driver of the American organization’s boss Gonner Steiner of the former Has team and the driver became a hurried joke in media sessions around the market time. In 2016, it was the last team to join Formula 1, and incidentally it joined the grid with Mexican Driver (Estaban Gutirez) and an European (Romain Groszen).

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Why did Cadilac not go to an American driver?

The reasons behind Nat Saunders and Lawrence Edmondson see why Cadilac chose Sergio Perez and Valtarery Botas and not an American driver for his F1 team.

While a good idea on paper, Andrati’s pledge was quite unrealistic, both of them looking at the realities of modern Formula 1 and the status of Cadilac. Getting an American driver in the car may be less complex in the age of unlimited testing, teams gave teams capable of paying good money for potential talents at a distance of thousands of miles outside the official testing events. Those days are no longer present. Even with a 12-day Presiden test in the next season, so that teams can properly evaluate the cars made under a brand-new rules, it presents an additional complexity when it is any kind of F1 experience to choose the driver without any kind of F1 experience.

The learning state stands, but the European racing system is designed around height to Formula 1. For decades, it has been a case that young American carting possibilities have faced an initial option: stay in states and go there for open-wheel racing, or expensive steps to create Junior categories of Europe. The championship on the same circuit, with the same Pirelli tires and, often, with the links of F1 teams, themselves. Lasan Sergeant, dropped by Williams last year, moved to Europe at a young age. American Youngster Jak Crawford, who is currently in second place in Formula 2, made the same goal to achieve the same goal. Sources have told ESPN that Crawford is still expecting any kind of cadilac role, such as a test deal or development contract.

Indycar Colon horta Often America’s new F1 was a name associated with the team, but even they had removed themselves from the occasion earlier this year – it seems that he would finish the year with the championship Finnish, which he was required for super license points. Beyond Harta, there are no clear candidates. Multiple Indycar Champion and Indy 500 Winner Joseph NewgardenAt the age of 34, it seems that the F1 has missed the window to switch to the F1.

Some people may say that in Indycar and American racing, Formula 1 is still a condemnable, and it can be true. Certainly in Padock, many people welcomed an 11th team on the perception of F1, saying, “When it was still packed as Andreti, a name that enjoyed a lot of success as a race team in US Formula 1, had made a very happy to accept the dialect, once the General Motors had done a complete work and worked a complete work.

Michael’s father, Mario Andrati, remains the last F1 race winner and world champion, which is closing both in 1978. Mario Andrati is in the board of directors of Cadilac F1. Finding an American driver under the line would probably be a long -term goal of an upcoming organization.