35-year-old former F1 driver set to be announced by Cadillac for the 2026 season: Reports

Cadillac F1 is reportedly set to announce its first driver signing for its debut season in 2026. The Mario Andretti and Graeme Lowdon-led squad will help 35-year-old former F1 driver Sergio Perez get another shot at reviving his F1 career.

Red Bull let Perez go at the end of an underwhelming 2024 season, which the Mexican driver finished eighth in the drivers' standings. With only 152 points to his name, he was a mammoth 285 points behind teammate Max Verstappen, who won his fourth consecutive F1 title last year.

Liam Lawson replaced Sergio Perez at Red Bull, and the Mexican found no takers for the 2025 season, which became a forced sabbatical year for him. However, with Cadillac looking to hit the ground running when it enters F1 as the 11th team in 2026, it will be counting on the six-time Grand Prix winner's immense experience.

As per a report from PlanetF1, Perez has reached an agreement with the Andretti Global and General Motors-backed team. The team is expected to make the official announcement of its big-ticket signing during the 2025 Italian Grand Prix weekend from September 5 to 7.

Max Verstappen with Sergio Perez at the F1 Grand Prix of China - Sprint - Source: Getty

Speculation about Cadillac signing Sergio Perez had been making rounds in the F1 paddock since the beginning of the season. The team was initially looking to pair a young American talent alongside an experienced F1 driver, and the former Red Bull driver ticked the box for the latter.

As time went on, the American team decided that it wouldn't fixate on signing an American driver. Team Principal Graeme Lowdon made that admission in March this year, emphasising that the driver signings would be based "on merit."

Cadillac F1 could pair Valtteri Bottas with Sergio Perez.

Valtteri Bottas with Sergio Perez at the Formula 1 Testing in Bahrain - Drivers Photocall - Source: Getty

Valtteri Bottas was in the same boat as Sergio Perez after the 2024 season. Sauber replaced him and his teammate Zhou Guanyu with Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg for 2025.

Unfortunately, the 10-time Grand Prix winner couldn't secure a full-time F1 seat, but returned to the Mercedes family after four years, albeit as a reserve driver. Cadillac has also shown interest in Bottas, with the two parties having talks over a potential 2026 partnership.

Earlier in June this year, the Finnish driver publicly made his interest known in driving for the American team.

“For me, I actually see a very interesting project, something new to F1, an American team with maybe a different view to the sport. If I would be there as a driver, it would be actually very interesting because you can start from scratch," Valtteri Bottas said via F1.

"The team starts from zero. You could actually make a big influence on certain things, which direction to go, and that would be very motivating and rewarding when the success comes."

Later that month, Bottas teased a deal with the General Motors-backed team with a cryptic Instagram reel, in which he comes across a Cadillac SUV on the street. He walks up to it and goes towards the driver's seat, saying:

"What a nice seat. I see there are two seats. Both seem free."

When a voice behind the camera asks him to take the driver's seat, he replies:

"Not yet."

Cadillac is highly likely to announce both of its drivers before the 2025 season ends. Though the team's performance isn't expected to be good enough to be a front-runner from its first season onwards, it will enter F1 in a year of the regulations reset. This could level the playing field to a certain extent for Cadillac.