Cadillac are now set to announce the signing of a ‘perfect’ F1 driver in the next 11 days

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Sergio Perez appears to have been beaten to the first seat at the new Cadillac team, with the General Motors squad now set to announce the signing of a rival F1 driver.

Questions have persisted for months about which drivers will lead Cadillac onto the 2026 F1 grid since Formula 1 confirmed in March that it had given GM the green light to become the 11th team. But the puzzle is now starting to fall into place at Cadillac’s factory in Silverstone.

It had even been suggested that Perez and Cadillac have agreed on a contract for 2026, and the Mexican’s move was also tipped to be announced at the Italian Grand Prix. F1 travels to Monza for round 16/24 on September 5-7, following the Dutch Grand Prix on August 29-31.

Yet Perez may have to settle for being the second driver Cadillac confirm. RacingNews365 now reports that a different driver announcement is expected on the week of the Dutch GP. Zandvoort will welcome the travelling circus of Formula 1 back following the summer break.

Cadillac are now set to confirm the signing of Valtteri Bottas

The driver in question to be Cadillac’s first confirmed addition ahead of the team’s debut is Valtteri Bottas. It is believed that the Finn has reached an agreement to return to the grid in the 2026 F1 season, and he will be officially unveiled as a Cadillac driver in the next 11 days.

READ MORE: Valtteri Bottas’ life outside F1 from girlfriend to wine and gin

Bottas has stubbornly made his desire to sign for Cadillac clear in recent months, as the 35-year-old sought his way back onto the grid after Audi decided against giving him a new deal with Sauber for 2025. This year marks the first season in which he has not raced since 2012.

It remains unclear, though, if Bottas will immediately leave his Mercedes reserve driver role upon being confirmed as a Cadillac 2026 F1 driver. The 10-time Grand Prix winner returned to Mercedes as a reserve driver after racing with the Silver Arrows between 2017 and 2021.

Cadillac could stage a TPC test for Valtteri Bottas in an old Ferrari

Cadillac are still to decide who will partner Bottas on the 2026 F1 grid, with Perez still in the running to return to the field following his departure from Red Bull at the end of 2025. He is one of several options in the mix for their second seat, as Cadillac weigh up signing a rookie.

READ MORE: All to know about General Motors’ Cadillac F1 team from engine to drivers

Bottas, who Williams team principal James Vowles called “perfect” while working together at Mercedes in 2019 following his “dog fighting” with Charles Leclerc in Russia, could even hit a track as a Cadillac driver before the team’s debut in F1 in 2026 through their ties with Ferrari.

Cadillac will buy engines from Ferrari from 2026 to 2028, as General Motors plan to produce a factory power unit for the 2029 season. Their ties with the Scuderia could also see Cadillac use an older Ferrari car to hold a Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) session to prepare for 2026.

F1 teams can use cars from at least two seasons ago to do 20 TPC sessions each year, up to a maximum of 1,000km of running across four days using drivers who are entered to race in the championship. A TPC test will allow Cadillac a chance to refine their processes for 2026.