Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas has highlighted the ease of collaborating with Mexican Sergio 'Checo' Pérez in the new Cadillac Formula 1 team ahead of its 2026 debut. The pair met as teammates for the first time during pre-season testing in Bahrain, where the team made progress despite some technical setbacks.
Valtteri Bottas, returning to the grid as a full-time driver after serving as a reserve at the end of 2024, shared his thoughts on his new partnership with Sergio 'Checo' Pérez at Cadillac. In comments picked up by ESPN, the Finn emphasized the Mexican's experience across various teams, which eases integration into the American outfit.
"It's great to work with 'Checo'. He has so much experience in different teams. It's so easy to work with someone like him. He's a great guy to work with and I think we'll make a good team," Bottas stated. The drivers together have over 500 Grand Prix starts: Bottas with 10 wins and Pérez with six victories and a runner-up finish as his best championship result.
Cadillac, backed by TWG Motorsports and General Motors, will become the 11th team on the Formula 1 grid in 2026. During testing in Bahrain, the team covered more than 1700 kilometers, focusing on cooling, energy management, and overall car performance. Bottas outlined the progress: "We got the car working well. We had a lot of laps, of course, we had some issues that we're still resolving, but we're progressing every day together as a team and getting a faster car".
The team dealt with track interruptions and initial failures, typical for a new project, but used the data for pre-season adjustments. The setup features Graeme Lowdon as team principal, Pietro Fittipaldi as development driver, and Zhou Guanyu as reserve. The season kicks off from March 6 to 8 at the Australian Grand Prix, marking Cadillac's first race with this lineup.