Who will drive for Cadillac’s incoming Formula 1 team in F1 2026? It’s the question rattling around in the brains of F1 fans and pundits now that the F1 2025 grid has taken shape — and there are plenty of options.

With so many driver swaps taking place ahead of F1 2025, there’s a long list of potential former F1 drivers to choose from — but according to some pundits, there’s one name that shouldn’t make the cut: Sergio Perez.

Cadillac F1 advised against signing Sergio Perez

After a long F1 2024 packed with rejections, investigations, and so much more, an American Formula 1 team has been tentatively invited to join the grid in F1 2026.

The road to F1 hasn’t been easy for Cadillac, a subsidiary brand of General Motors, but with the FOM’s approval in joining the field, now the operation can start making concrete plans for the future.

One of the biggest question marks surrounding Cadillac concerns its driver lineup for F1 2026.

The fluid nature of the F1 grid means that there are a lot of talented and experienced candidates still looking for a seat. That includes names like Valtteri Bottas, Daniel Ricciardo, and Sergio Perez.

The last driver on that list, Perez, is also the driver most recently dropped from the sport. But according to longtime F1 pundit Peter Windsor, Cadillac would do to avoid inking a deal with the Mexican racer.

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Windsor joined Cameron CC‘s YouTube channel to chat about all things Cadillac — including whether or not Perez should be considered for a driving role.

After first admitting that he hadn’t given the idea a thought, Windsor asked, “I don’t think Cadillac would run him, would they? Why would they?”

Windsor went on to suggest two different reasons as to why that would be the case.

“For a start, they’re going to want an American, I would imagine, in one car,” he said — which would discount Perez from a seat right from the start.

“Then, secondly, they’ll want somebody pretty much of the moment who’s quick and going to bring a lot to the team. I can’t imagine Perez would fill that role now, especially if he’s been sort of on the sidelines for a while.”

Windsor certainly has a point. Though Perez had a long and fruitful career in Formula 1, the rapid decline of his performance throughout the 2024 season was concerning enough that Red Bull Racing preemptively ended his contract extension at the end of the season. That naturally wouldn’t give a team like Cadillac the confidence it needs.

While the American outfit will likely want to sign someone with F1 experience, they’d do well to snap up a younger driver still showing heaps of pace, albeit one with a few years under his belt in order to help the team develop.

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