Sergio “Checo” Perez joins new Cadillac Formula 1 team

Sergio “Checo” Perez, one of Mexico’s most popular athletes, was named one of the two inaugural drivers for The Cadillac Formula 1 Team. The six-time Grand Prix winner joins 10-time Grand Prix winner Valtteri Bottas to guide The Cadillac Formula 1 Team in its inaugural F1 season in 2026.

 “Joining the Cadillac Formula 1 Team is an incredibly exciting new chapter in my career,” Perez said. “From our first conversations, I could sense the passion and determination behind this project. It’s an honor to be part of a building a team that can develop together so that, in time, we will fight at the very front. 

“Cadillac is a legendary name in American motorsport, and to help bring such a fantastic company to Formula 1 is a huge responsibility, one I’m confident of taking on.”

Perez, 35, was born in Guadalajara, Mexico. He began racing at six years old in the go-kart series. He methodically rose through the racing circuit before debuting in Formula 1 in 2011. Perez and NASCAR’s Daniel Suarez have helped grow car racing’s popularity in Mexico.

¿Se acuerdan que les dije que nos volveríamos a ver?#WeAreBack #SP11 pic.twitter.com/TD7uCX6bNa

— Sergio Pérez (@SChecoPerez) August 26, 2025

Perez earned his first Formula 1 victory on Dec. 6, 2020, at the Sakhir Grand Prix. That race in Sakhir, Bahrain, was Perez 190th F1 start. He was with Racing Point at the time. Perez moved to Red Bull in 2021, winning five races with that team before parting ways after the 2024 season. 

‘Proud’ “Checo” Perez

“I’m proud to be part of such an ambitious and meaningful project from the very beginning,” he said. “I’m really pleased to be part of such a dynamic line-up, and together I believe we can help shape this team into a real contender, the team of the Americas.

“We’re counting on support from across the continent – and we want to make everyone proud.”

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Bottas is a native of Nastola, Finland. He made his Formula 1 debut in 2013. Since then, he has 10 wins over 246 starts. 

Bottas, who will celebrate his 36th birthday on Thursday, has earned a spot on the podium 67 times while earning 20 F1 pole positions. Perez has made it to the podium 39 times with three F1 pole positions.

“From the moment I began speaking with the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, I felt something different – something ambitious but also grounded,” Bottas said. “This isn’t just a racing project; it’s a long-term vision.

“It’s not every day that you get a chance to be part of something being built from the ground up and helping shape it into something that truly belongs on the F1 grid.”