Ralf Schumacher now declares who would be a better driver for Cadillac in 2026 – Sergio Perez or Valtteri Bottas

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Cadillac will soon need to decide which two drivers will lead them into their first Formula 1 season next year.

Team principal Graeme Lowdon has played down the importance of hiring two drivers for Cadillac right now.

The Formula 1 driver market was frenetic last year and has left Cadillac in an awkward position.

The majority of active drivers are on multi-year deals, and it’s hard to see Cadillac convincing George Russell to give up hope of a Mercedes renewal to join their project.

It means Cadillac will have to dip into the free agent market, and there are plenty of exciting options.

Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez are the two highest-profile drivers looking for a way back onto the grid who don’t currently have a contract.

Both drivers lost their seats at the end of last season, with Bottas unable to score a point for Sauber, and Perez finishing nearly 300 points worse off than Max Verstappen at Red Bull.

However, both drivers are being heavily linked with Cadillac, and Ralf Schumacher has had his say on who would be the best option for next season.

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

Ralf Schumacher tips Sergio Perez as a better option than Valtteri Bottas for Cadillac

Schumacher was discussing the American team’s prospects on the Backstage Boxengasse Podcast ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.

When asked about the prospect of either Bottas or Perez joining Dan Towriss’ team, he said: “So if you look at where Sauber were last year and where they are this year, I think the reason is Bottas.

“As far as Perez is concerned, you can be a bit fairer when you see what has come after him compared to Max Verstappen.

“You have to be that honest. And if he also brings the money with him, of course, which is very important at the beginning or what is also very important at the beginning, which is clear to the team GM, but you still have to finance everything.

“So from that point of view, I can definitely imagine it. I can’t imagine Zhou, because America and China don’t exactly have the best relations at the moment.

“I could imagine that being rather difficult, economically speaking. And then, quite honestly, people will say the uncle again, but when I look at who else, who has a bit of experience, who has potential for the top and who else, then Mick is certainly one of the good candidates who has now learnt a bit more, I think.

“He’s also matured a bit; it’s clear that two years make a big difference.

“In any case, he has great potential, which shouldn’t be underestimated, but in the end, a decision like this depends on many factors, so we’ll have to keep our fingers crossed.”

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

Cadillac ‘sources’ reveal how close Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez are to securing 2026 F1 seat

The Formula 1 summer break is typically when contracts for the following season are finalised.

Mercedes are waiting to see if Max Verstappen will leave Red Bull, and once that decision is made, the other pieces of the driver market puzzle should fall into place.

The only other seat that will need to be confirmed that isn’t connected to Verstappen’s future is at Alpine.

Bottas has been linked with joining Alpine this season, but it’s unclear whether that would be a deal until the end of the current campaign, or if it would include an option for 2026 and beyond.

Schumacher thinks the Finn’s struggles with Sauber and Perez’s financial backing make him a better prospect for Cadillac.

It’s no surprise he’s also backed Mick Schumacher for the role, and seeing as Cadillac haven’t finalised a contract with Bottas or Perez, there are still a lot of options available to Lowdon and the American team’s hierarchy.