Helmut Marko demeans the Sergio Perez-Valtteri Bottas driver lineup choice as 'conservative' by Cadillac

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko feels Cadillac has made a "conservative" choice by picking Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez to drive for them in the 2026 F1 season. He also mentioned that he spoke with RBR's former driver shortly after the driver announcement.

Cadillac is prepared to join the Formula 1 grid as the 11th team in the 2026 season with the new regulations. After weeks of reports and speculations, the team announced Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez as their drivers for the first season. Other drivers were reported to be in the potential interest of the team, too, but Bottas and Perez were the frontrunners, considering their experience and the consistency they have showcased in their careers.

Helmut Marko, however, suggested that the team has "chosen the conservative route" with the driver selection. As per Kleine Zeitung, he also revealed speaking to Sergio Perez after the announcement.

"I spoke with him on the phone, and he's motivated. If he's motivated and the car is right, then he'll definitely be back to the level he once was," he said.

Perez drove for Red Bull Racing alongside Max Verstappen between 2021 and 2023. He remained a consistent and competitive driver, but after a disappointing end to the 2023 season, they split ways.

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Sergio Perez aims to use maximum experience getting back to the grid with Cadillac

Once he's back, Perez will be one of the most experienced drivers on the F1 grid. He has been racing in the sport since 2011, gaining more experience than most of the other drivers on the track. This will put him in the right inclination with Cadillac, which is looking forward to developing their cars with their drivers' experience.

Reacting to getting back to racing, Sergio Perez mentioned that his main aim is to "enjoy" being back on the grid, but also aims to focus on the car and its development.

"My main target is to enjoy being back," Sergio Perez said (via F1). "I had a very difficult year, especially my final year with Red Bull. This is a sport I love, and I want to get back to enjoyment."

"This project just brings me that excitement back because I'm able to put all my years of experience, the different teams I’ve worked with, to try to help this team move forward."

He added:

"We want to move forward as quickly as possible. We know we don't have time on our side, but we also can be a big surprise, because you see with the drivers, we're bringing as much experience as possible, but also commitment – and this is the same for all the areas in the team."

The 2026 season will also witness the new design and engine regulations, which are expected to reshuffle the grid. This is set to be quite a challenge for the newest team on the grid, but with the right driver lineup, they might have a car to score some points.