Brundle makes case for young, American talent at Cadillac

Racing driver and Formula 2 commentator, Alex Brundle, has described Cadillac’s signing of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez as the correct decision for the team, though he would have liked to have seen a young or American driver earn a seat.

Cadillac was known to be in talks with multiple drivers ahead of the American marque’s debut on the grid next season, but opted for experience in both cockpits with the former Mercedes and Red Bull pair signing deals from 2026.

Alex Brundle: Cadillac pairing ‘the right call, for them’

In signing both Bottas and Perez after each complete the 2025 season on the sidelines, Cadillac will boast one of the most experienced combined line-ups on the grid, with 527 starts, 16 wins and 106 podiums between its two drivers.

With two seats to fill, it was thought the team would look at a minimum of one experienced driver and potentially an American driver, with Formula 2’s Jak Crawford one of the names mooted for a drive with Cadillac.

In securing two seasoned racers in Bottas and Perez, however, the team will arrive on the grid knowing their cars are likely to be in safe hands.

Brundle agreed this was the case, though through his work in commentating on Formula 2, said he would have liked to have seen a chance taken on a younger talent.

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“From what I’m hearing about the program development and the challenge of the reg set for ‘26, I think this is the right call… for them,” Brundle wrote on X.

“From a sporting (F2 partisan) perspective, I’d love to see a youngster/USA Star get a shot. But I think the team will benefit from known quantities.”

In explaining the team’s choice of drivers, team principal Graeme Lowdon cited the knowledge that comes with experience that both Bottas and Perez will bring to the team for its first season in F1.

“Signing two very experienced racers like Bottas and Checo is a bold signal of intent,” Lowdon said.

“They’ve seen it all and they know what it takes to succeed in Formula 1. But more importantly, they understand what it means to help build a team.

“Their leadership, feedback, race-hardened instincts and of course their speed will be invaluable as we bring this team to life. A big thank you to the team at Mercedes for their co-operation and understanding.”

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