{"id":16268,"date":"2025-07-23T15:34:11","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T15:34:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/16268\/"},"modified":"2025-07-23T15:34:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T15:34:11","slug":"special-driver-with-zero-f1-grand-prix-starts-is-now-cadillacs-top-target-to-partner-valtteri-bottas-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/16268\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Special\u2019 driver with zero F1 Grand Prix starts is now Cadillac\u2019s top target to partner Valtteri Bottas in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Cadillac have now chosen Valtteri Bottas to lead the General Motors brand\u2019s debut on the Formula 1 grid, despite claims that Sergio Perez was due to sign for the new team.<\/p>\n

Bottas<\/a> and Perez<\/a> have long been viewed as two of the favourites to lead Cadillac<\/a> onto the F1 grid next season since the series confirmed the General Motors<\/a> brand\u2019s entry in March. Both are raring to race in the pinnacle of motorsport again and would add a wealth of experience.<\/p>\n

The Finn and Mexican fell off the grid at the end of 2024, as Audi opted against giving Bottas a new contract at Sauber and Red Bull terminated Perez\u2019s contract. So, 2025 marks the first F1 season<\/a> without Bottas or Perez on the grid since the pair debuted back in 2013 and 2011.<\/p>\n

It seemed like Bottas might miss out on a spot on the 2026 F1 grid, as well, following reports that Cadillac may soon announce the signing of Perez<\/a> to be their lead driver. But Auto Action<\/a> now reports that Cadillac have decided to sign Bottas instead of Perez to be their No1 driver.<\/p>\n

\"MercedesPhoto by Dave Hewison\/Speed Media\/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesCadillac mark Felipe Drugovich as their top target to partner Valtteri Bottas after snubbing Sergio Perez<\/p>\n

Bottas and Cadillac reached an agreement on the terms of his contract<\/a> at Silverstone earlier this month, having used the British Grand Prix as a chance to finalise their negotiations. The 35-year-old is still yet to sign on the dotted line, though, which is delaying the confirmation.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Valtteri Bottas\u2019 life outside F1 from girlfriend to wine and gin<\/a><\/p>\n

TEAMDRIVER 1DRIVER 2AlpinePierre GaslyN\/AAston MartinFernando AlonsoLance StrollAudiGabriel BortoletoNico HulkenbergCadillacN\/AN\/AFerrariCharles LeclercLewis HamiltonHaasEsteban OconOliver BearmanMcLarenLando NorrisOscar PiastriMercedesN\/AN\/ARacing BullsN\/AN\/ARed Bull RacingMax VerstappenN\/AWilliamsAlex AlbonCarlos Sainz2026 confirmed F1 drivers<\/p>\n

Cadillac ultimately decided to sign Bottas instead of Perez as the American team appreciate the Finn\u2019s commitment and personality. After leaving Sauber, Bottas returned to Mercedes as their reserve driver, and he has tested for the Silver Arrows as well as McLaren this season.<\/p>\n

Bottas\u2019 desire to start working with Cadillac at the team\u2019s Silverstone factory on identifying areas to improve their car for the 2026 F1 regulations<\/a>, along with driving in their simulator, also helped to strengthen his position. Cadillac also feel he is the ideal mentor for a rookie.<\/p>\n

Cadillac want to partner Bottas with a rookie whom they can mould to be their team leader once the Finn\u2019s Formula 1 career is finished. So, while Cadillac held talks with Yuki Tsunoda<\/a> and Jack Doohan, team principal Graeme Lowdon<\/a> sees Felipe Drugovich<\/a> as their top target.<\/p>\n

Felipe Drugovich impressed Cadillac\u2019s board with his performances at Le Mans and Daytona\"CadillacPhoto by JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Drugovich is now the most likely partner for Bottas at Cadillac in 2026 after the 25-year-old impressed the GM brand\u2019s board with his speed driving for them at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2024 and 2025, plus the Daytona 24 earlier this year, as well as the Brazilian\u2019s feedback.<\/p>\n

Lowdon further views Drugovich as his top target to partner Bottas as the 2022 F2 champion has driven more than 10,000km in Formula 1 machinery in his role as Aston Martin\u2019s reserve driver since September 2022. Drugovich has also not once damaged a single bit of an F1 car.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: All you need to know about Felipe Drugovich from age to racing stats<\/a><\/p>\n

TEAMENGINERed BullRed Bull Powertrains (in partnership with Ford)FerrariFerrariMcLarenMercedesMercedesMercedesAston MartinHondaRacing BullsRed Bull Powertrains (in partnership with Ford)HaasFerrariWilliamsMercedesAlpineMercedesAudiAudiCadillacFerrariF1 engine suppliers for the 2026 season<\/p>\n

Drugovich has taken part in six FP1 sessions with Aston Martin, as well as several Testing of Previous Car (TPC) runs and Pirelli tyre tests. He most recently featured in FP1 for the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix and was 0.082 seconds slower than Lance Stroll, but has not raced in F1.<\/p>\n

Cadillac spoke to Drugovich at the Japanese Grand Prix<\/a> the week before he drove Fernando Alonso\u2019s Aston Martin in Bahrain, as well. Drugovich was 0.033s quicker than Alonso in the last FP1 session they both featured in with Aston Martin at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.<\/p>\n

A chance for Drugovich, whom his ex-MP Motorsport boss Paolo Angilella called \u2018special\u2019<\/a>, to be a full-time F1 driver at Cadillac would be richly deserved. The Maringa, Parana native still boasts the most dominant F2 title win after he beat Theo Pourchaire by 101 points in 2022.<\/p>\n

But while Drugovich\u2019s name has risen to the top of Lowdon\u2019s shortlist of possible teammates for Bottas, Cadillac are informing Mick Schumacher and Zhou Guanyu that they will not race for them in 2026<\/a>. Schumacher and Zhou had also been in the running for a seat next season.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cadillac have now chosen Valtteri Bottas to lead the General Motors brand\u2019s debut on the Formula 1 grid,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16269,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[572],"tags":[64,63,3550,17669,1627,3551,17670,806,805,803,804,2072,85,1512],"class_list":["post-16268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-motosport","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-cadillac","tag-felipe-drugovich","tag-formula-1-driver-market","tag-general-motors","tag-graeme-lowdon","tag-motor","tag-motor-sports","tag-motosport","tag-motosports","tag-sergio-perez","tag-sports","tag-valtteri-bottas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16268","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16268"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16268\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16269"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16268"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16268"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16268"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}