Cadillac have placed Valtteri Bottas alternative to the ‘top of their list’ as they close in on Sergio Perez

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Cadillac have now reportedly closed in on a deal with Sergio Perez, with the Mexican set to rejoin the grid to head their 2026 Formula 1 ambitions.

The American outfit has reportedly reached an agreement that will see him return to F1 after a year on the sidelines, following Perez’s dismissal from Red Bull at the end of 2024.

Perez’s performance at Red Bull appeared to tail off midway through the season, but after difficult starts for both Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, more emphasis has been put on the car being the main issue.

Rumours of who Cadillac might have as part of their driver lineup have been rife over the past few months, after F1 confirmed that the American team would be given a place as the 11th team on the grid.

Valtteri Bottas emerged as the most likely candidate given his recent experience, but now Cadillac bosses are looking at someone else, according to a report in PlanetF1.com.

Cadillac looking at Felipe Drugovich to partner Sergio Perez for 2026

The return of Perez would give Cadillac some much-needed experience on track and is in keeping with their ambitions to field a driver from the American markets.

Perez also brings in significant sponsors from Mexico, who Red Bull lost when they decided to axe him at the end of the 2024 season.

According to the report, Bottas is thought to tick the same number of boxes as Perez, but they want to field a rookie instead.

Aston Martin’s reserve driver Felipe Drugovich is now reportedly going to ‘top this list’ after impressing with his feedback in the simulators at their Silverstone headquarters. Cadillac is based not far from Aston Martin, having also opened up a base at Silverstone.

It also states that F2 drivers Jak Crawford and Alex Dunne are also believed to have held talks with the Cadillac team.

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

How is the 2026 Formula 1 grid shaping up?

Bottas has been teasing a comeback to the F1 grid on his social media channels, but Cadillac appear to have changed tack now that they are siding with Perez.

The Finn could still find refuge at Alpine after Franco Colapinto has failed to impress on his comeback midway through this season, having yet to score any points after six races.

Bottas has kept himself race-ready should he be needed as part of being the reserve driver at Mercedes, while also lending out his services to McLaren.

Zhou Guanyu has already been rejected by Cadillac for 2026, while the performances of Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto have impacted Bottas’ chances of an F1 return.