Lewis Hamilton has expressed his confidence in the team’s choice of drivers for its inaugural season. Hamilton believes that Cadillac has “picked the right guys” in selecting Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez for 2026, citing both their experience and character as major assets for a fledgling outfit entering the paddock.
Hamilton’s sentiments come in light of Cadillac’s recent announcement confirming Bottas, once Hamilton’s teammate at Mercedes from 2017 to 2021, will return to a full-time race seat for the new team, paired with former Red Bull driver Pérez.
After a season spent off the grid in 2025 — Bottas serving as reserve driver at Mercedes, and Pérez without a seat following his departure from Red Bull — the pairing signals Cadillac’s intent to hit the ground running in its maiden season.
Hamilton praised Bottas not only for his on-track accomplishments but also for qualities off it. Speaking to media, he said, “I don’t need to say anything about his talent because he’s shown that throughout his career. But they’re getting one of the most honest, probably the funniest, Finns I would imagine, and just the most genuine person to work with. I miss working with him.”
About Pérez, Hamilton noted, “he’s got great experience. That knowledge that they both bring from two great teams will help them progress faster.”
He added that a newcomer team needs more than raw pace; it needs maturity in drivers who understand what is required in building toward competitiveness. “You’ve got two different flavours coming from Red Bull and Mercedes with different knowledge and experience that they’ll both be able to put into the pot and help the team move forward faster.”
A veteran in the sport, Bottas brings to Cadillac a track record of ten Grand Prix victories during his tenure with Mercedes, while Pérez adds further pedigree with multiple wins achieved with Red Bull and, earlier, Racing Point.
Together they boast over 500 Grand Prix starts. Their return to full-time racing is significant not just for them personally but for how Cadillac will be judged—new teams are rarely afforded slack in F1’s unforgiving environment.
Hamilton’s own history with Bottas amplifies his endorsement. Having shared five seasons together at Mercedes, Hamilton has previously described Bottas as his “best teammate,” noting both his commitment and resilience.
Bottas, in turn, commented upon joining Cadillac that from their early talks, he sensed something both ambitious and grounded. He called Cadillac’s entry “a long-term vision” and said the opportunity to build something from scratch, with a legacy brand rooted in American motorsport, was “incredibly special.”
Of course, motorsport history is littered with stories of promising driver pairings failing to unlock potential because of shortcomings in engineering, strategy, or resources. Cadillac, as a brand new entrant, will face the usual challenges: developing an entirely fresh infrastructure, refining performance through testing, managing supply chains, and aligning everything from aerodynamics to power units.
But Hamilton believes the experience Bottas and Pérez bring will serve as a stabilising influence through those teething phases. “For a team to be able to develop, you have to have drivers who have experience, especially when it’s a brand new team.”
Cadillac, an iconic American automotive marque with racing history in other categories, is preparing to enter F1 in 2026 as the grid’s 11th team. This move follows years of speculation, investments in infrastructure, factory development, and recruitment.
For F1, which has aimed for a more global and diverse grid in recent years, the addition of Cadillac is a major development, particularly because it brings another well-known automotive manufacturer into the fold.
The choice of Bottas and Pérez fits a pattern seen with other new or restructured teams in F1 that have elected to bring in drivers not just for their speed, but for what they can offer in terms of technical feedback, leadership, and helping to build team culture. Young drivers often shine, but veteran presence tends to be more stabilising when the factory, staff, and operations are still being established.
Looking ahead, much will depend on how Cadillac manages the early stages—testing, reliability, and small details such as pit-stop execution, strategy under pressure, race engineer communication, tyre degradation management, and how quickly the car becomes competitive.