Awkward question about Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez should get Cadillac thinking

Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez have been labelled as phenomenal talent, but question marks linger over whether they can take on the role of team leader at Cadillac’s new Formula 1 squad next year.

Cadillac has opted for experience over youth for its driver line-up in 2026, believing their expertise will lift the team in its first season in F1.

On paper, Bottas and Perez appear to be a solid pair, having contested over 500 starts between them and scored multiple race wins and podium finishes.

However, they are more famous for playing supporting roles than leading a team, with Bottas's role essentially reduced to winning the constructors' championship for Mercedes and Perez directly helping Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen win his first drivers’ title in F1.

As such, it has been suggested that both Bottas and Perez need to step up their game and help Cadillac reach new heights in F1.

DOWNLOAD CRASH F1 PODCAST HERE

Lucas Cochrane said on the Crash.net podcast: “One question I do want to raise with this new line-up is who is going to be - if there is going to be - a first seat and second seat driver. 

“Historically speaking, Valtteri Bottas is arguably one of the best second drivers this sport has ever seen in his support of Lewis through several world championships.

“Granted that worked in his detriment at some point, I'm sure we will remember the infamous radio message, ‘to whom it may concern, **** you.’

“But even still, they got the skill of it, it's just whether or not he is willing to step up as that first driver. 

“Let's not forget that Checo has also been a phenomenal second driver. So two second drivers on the same team, both with a wealth of experience, but not necessarily the table standings to prove it. [They are] in a position to prove themselves in a brand new team is tremendously exciting, and I really can't wait to see where it goes next.”

Sergio Perez “a victim of the F1 system”

Perez lost his job at Red Bull at the end of 2024 despite having signed a new contract with the team in the previous summer.

The Mexican’s lack of performance was cited as the reason behind the decision, but the events of the 2025 season have shed light on how tough it is to tame Red Bull’s tricky F1 car.

Bottas likewise was dropped after a point-less season for Sauber at the end of last season after the team elected to change its entire line-up.

He later returned to Mercedes as a reserve driver and his contribution to the team has been hailed by both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.

Both Bottas and Perez are 35 years old, and Tuesday’s Cadillac announcement gives them a second lease of life in F1.

“It's great to see both of them back to be honest,” said Cochrane. “More than a lot of people have missed Valtteri Bottas just because he is so iconic in his game. He is one of the drivers who knows when to take them seriously and when to let the joke be the joke. 

“The same goes for Perez. He is a phenomenal driver in his own right. He too has suffered the Red Bull curse much like many drivers before him, or at least the curse of the second seat. 

“His stock has gone up while being out of the sport, which as far as I'm unaware is pretty much unheard of Michael Schumacher perhaps. 

“Hey, I'm not saying Sergio Perez is the next Michael Schumacher. But even still when we remember him back in the days of Pink Mercedes where he went from P20 all the way up to P1 in a single race [2020 Sakhir GP]. 

“He has obviously got the skill for it. He has been a victim of the F1 system, so to speak, in being sidelined. But I'm so glad that he has been given yet another chance to sit in an F1 seat and prove his worth once again.”