How Ferrari are ‘expected’ to help Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas before Cadillac’s 2026 F1 debut

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Cadillac have less than six months before their first Formula 1 car must debut at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Now that they have two drivers signed up, they can get to work with background jobs, such as seat fittings and simulator work, ahead of the 2026 F1 regulations.

Signing Valtteri Bottas from Mercedes means that he may be restricted in involvement until the end of the season, but Sergio Perez will be able to work right away.

Signing two effectively free agent drivers means that Cadillac are giving themselves an advantage in preparation for next year. There should be less rushing around in January.

Bottas can ‘already see’ something at Cadillac, which he also saw from his colleagues when winning titles at Mercedes.

By opting for experience, Cadillac have made the perfect choice for 2026, and their drivers should be able to help accelerate the development of their new project immediately. Their feedback will be crucial.

READ MORE: F1 fans all say the same thing as Cadillac confirm Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez as their 2026 driver line-up

Ferrari are ‘expected’ to help Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas with testing before 2026 Cadillac F1 debut

Martin Brundle has sent Bottas and Perez an instant warning, suggesting that they could be in for a frustrating time as they wait for their car to get up to speed.

Fortunately, their power unit is not something to worry about yet, and the team will benefit from having Ferrari’s work in the back of their car.

No one knows how quick or reliable the new engines will be, but Bottas already has experience with their power units after his time with Sauber. It should be a smooth transition.

In a bid to get up to speed beforehand, Ferrari are ‘expected’ to help Perez and Bottas by letting them test in an older version of their cars, according to The Race.

“While there are no old Cadillacs to conduct private testing with, sourcing a car at least two years old from a rival appears to be permitted,” said Scott Mitchell-Malm.

“Perez hinted at a plan to test with an F1 car this year, and when we asked Lowden, he confirmed they will introduce real car testing, working with another team, as Cadillac doesn’t have its own.

“So the team is expected to utilise its partnership with engine supplier Ferrari to run either a 2022 or 2023 car.”

READ MORE: What Alpine told Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas about Franco Colapinto before they joined Cadillac instead

What outcome have Cadillac guaranteed by signing Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas?

There’s plenty of cause for optimism with Cadillac, who have invested heavily in a Silverstone base and signed two proven drivers.

The main question that remains is how competitive they will be out of the blocks. 2010 showed how difficult it can be for new arrivals to get up to speed, with Virgin, HRT and Lotus all struggling.

Thanks also to a technical partnership with Ferrari in 2016, Haas were strong from day one, and if Cadillac can replicate that, they will be fine.

Signing Bottas and Perez guarantees results from the very start of their operation, and should leave them in a better position early on than having a rookie would.