Cadillac F1 boss sets the record straight after Sergio Perez rumour

The Cadillac F1 team principal has given an honest update on their interest in Sergio Perez.

Sacked Red Bull driver Perez caused a stir when he claimed “a few teams” had been in touch to bring him back into Formula 1.

Cadillac, who will enter the sport next year but don’t yet have any drivers signed up, were assumed to be one of Perez’s admirers.

Team boss Graeme Lowdon told Speed City Broadcasting: “We are either planning, or have spoken to, seven or eight drivers.

“It would be no surprise that anybody who has got recent Formula 1 experience would be included in that list.

“Any discussions are very preliminary. We are trying to get to know what people’s interest levels are, what their motivations are.

“We are certainly not in advanced discussion with any driver.”

Perez lost his Red Bull seat after a poor 2024 where his inability to score points disadvantaged his team against McLaren in the constructors’ championship.

But the difficulties discovered by Liam Lawson in the RB21 could shed new light on Perez’s performances last year.

Elsewhere, Valtteri Bottas is another experienced name without a race seat who could be on Cadillac’s list.

Cadillac have been clear in dreaming of an American driver, with Colton Herta and F2’s Jak Crawford the most obvious names.

“Colton has started the IndyCar season now,” Lowdon said.

“We are interested to see how Jak goes in Formula 2.

“There is a lot there, as well. Everybody would expect a Formula 1 team to hire drivers on merit, and that’s what we’ll do.

“But there’s nothing stopping us having one or more drivers from the US, at some stage.”

Cadillac 'disadvantage' in F1 driver market talks

Cadillac, backed by General Motors, will become the 11th Formula 1 team on the grid in 2026.

Their arrival coincides with the new engine regulations. It also gives F1 a powerhouse American manufacturer.

However, they haven’t been able to snap up a driver yet partly because they couldn’t seriously partake in the most recent round of negotiations.

“It was a big disadvantage that we couldn’t take part in the last round of the driver market,” Lowdon said.

“It wasn’t fair for us to do when we didn’t have a confirmed entry.

“We could meet with drivers and talk to them. But without our entry confirmed, we couldn’t play in that market place.

“So that was a big disadvantage. A lot of teams concluded arrangements then which span the new regulations in 2026.

“The upside is that there is a bunch of extremely good drivers who are hungry to be in F1, or to be back in F1.

“So there is no shortage in potential applicants.

“Since the entry has been confirmed, my phone has been reasonably busy.

“But we are at fairly early stages. Drivers are a key part of the team. This is a sport and in F1, the drivers are the heroes.

“It’s important to spend time with potential drivers for the team, and find out what their motivation is.

“I would stress that we are at very early stages, at the moment.”