Cadillac told the ‘very likely’ outcome that signing Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez guarantees

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Cadillac have overlooked an array of driver targets to favour experience after signing Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez to multi-year contracts ahead of their debut in 2026.

The General Motors brand announced on Tuesday that they have signed Bottas and Perez to shape Cadillac’s inaugural driver line-up on the 2026 F1 grid. The Finn and Mexican will now return to the field, as well, having each had to watch the 2025 F1 season from the sidelines.

Bottas has so far spent his season acting as a reserve driver at Mercedes, along with being a mentor for rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Perez did not remain in the paddock after Red Bull terminated his contract, which left the 35-year-old off the grid for the first time since 2010.

Perez had been a mainstay of the paddock since his debut with Sauber in 2011, while Bottas had been a mainstay since his debut with Williams in 2013. Both will now return to the field when Cadillac debut in the 2026 F1 season, having each agreed to sign multi-year contracts.

Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez guarantee Cadillac results from the start, unlike Mick Schumacher

Cadillac signing Bottas and Perez for the 2026 season also means Mick Schumacher must wait at least another 12 months to land his dream return to the pinnacle of motorsport. But Christian Danner believes Cadillac have made the right decision by overlooking Schumacher.

READ MORE: Cadillac driver Sergio Perez’s life outside F1 from net worth to nickname

While Cadillac held talks with Schumacher about a return to F1, Danner believes Bottas and Perez guarantee the GM brand instant results unlike the German. It is also “very likely” that the Finn and Mexican could get through the 2026 campaign without making “any mistakes”.

Danner told sport.de about what Bottas and Perez guarantee Cadillac: “Work right from the start. Both have experience with big teams and are multiple Grand Prix winners, unlike Mick.

“It’s a pure comparison of probabilities. How likely is it that Bottas and Perez will drive through the season without making any mistakes? Very likely. How likely is that for Mick? Not so high due to his history.”

Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas are not unfamiliar with crashes

Danner is referring to Schumacher’s history with Haas, having endured his share of errors in F1 while driving for the American outfit over the 2021 and 2022 campaigns. The 26-year-old has since been keen to return to the F1 grid, but he will now have to wait until at least 2027.

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

Schumacher split his Haas in two during qualifying for the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, as the German suffered a 33G crash after spinning at the high-speed Turn 10 during qualifying. Schumacher also ruined his VF-22 when he crashed on Lap 27/77 of the 2022 Monaco GP.

So, Cadillac will now hope to see Bottas and Perez produce what Danner predicts, although they are also not unfamiliar with crashes. Perez crashed with Kevin Magnussen in the 2024 Monaco GP after squeezing the then-Haas racer and crashed out of last year’s Canadian GP.

Additionally, Perez crashed out of the 2024 Azerbaijan GP when he tangled with Carlos Sainz in their fight for P3, which might have been the Mexican’s sole podium in his final 19 Grands Prix for Red Bull. Bottas hit Perez in the 2024 Abu Dhabi GP, which forced the latter to retire.