F1: Cadillac opt for Perez, Bottas, leave China’s Zhou Guanyu still seeking seat
Newest team on the Formula 1 grid has gone for experience of Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas for debut season in 2026
If Zhou Guanyu is to return to Formula 1 next season, it will not be as a member of the new Cadillac team. On Tuesday, the American outfit named Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez as its drivers for its debut in 2026.
Zhou had been considered a strong candidate for the newest group in the pit lane, given his relationship with team principal Graeme Lowdon, who managed the Chinese star and was leading the recruitment drive.
There was also the Ferrari connection. The 26-year-old is a reserve driver for the Italian team, and the GM-backed Cadillac will use the Scuderia’s engines for its first two seasons on the grid.
But in the end, they went with two experienced drivers who have more than 500 starts and 16 race wins between them, and were championship runners-up alongside two of the sport’s all-time greats, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
“It’s the right combination, the right drivers at the right time,” Dan Towriss, the team CEO, said after announcing multi-year deals for both.
“There are a ton of amazing drivers out there … ultimately it was this experience and leadership of these two individuals that stood out among the rest.”