Sergio Perez Signs Cadillac Extension Through 2029 as Valtteri Bottas Waits on His Option

Sergio Perez will stay with Cadillac until at least 2029. The team announced a multi-year extension with the six-time Grand Prix winner on Oct. 28, ahead of his home race in Mexico City, where he made his 300th F1 start, according to Formula 1 (opens in a new tab).

His teammate is still waiting. Valtteri Bottas has not been confirmed for 2027 because Cadillac has not triggered an option in his contract, and reserve driver Colton Herta has been linked with the seat.

"Fully committed for the next three years"

Perez joined Cadillac before its F1 debut this season, returning after a year on the sidelines following his exit from Red Bull. Cadillac said his technical feedback and race craft have helped speed up chassis development and trackside operations across its bases in Silverstone, Indianapolis and Charlotte, according to the team (opens in a new tab).

"Joining Cadillac Formula 1 Team from day one was a project I truly believed in, and extending my commitment feels like a natural continuation of this chapter," Perez said. "Building a Formula 1 team from the ground up takes time, relentless work and patience, but the progress we are making together is incredibly rewarding. There is still a lot of work ahead of us and I am fully committed for the next three years."

He thanked Cadillac CEO Dan Towriss and GM's Mark Reuss, adding: "I won't let you down. Let's keep pushing!"

"Building a competitive team in F1 is a long-term journey, and securing Checo's talent and leadership gives us the continuity and commitment we need to build on the strong foundation established in our first year," Towriss said.

Why Cadillac moved early

Perez's original multi-year deal included options from 2027 onward, because there were questions about how he would perform after his difficult end at Red Bull, Formula 1's Lawrence Barretto reported (opens in a new tab). Cadillac quickly felt it had made the right call. The team believes Perez has consistently gotten the most from the car, and both sides chose to negotiate a new contract rather than simply trigger an option for a second season.

The 36-year-old has six wins and 39 podiums from spells at Sauber, McLaren, Force India, Racing Point and Red Bull. Barretto wrote that the deal could keep Perez at Cadillac as he approaches his 40s and could be the final chapter of his F1 career.

Results have been hard to come by. Cadillac is the only team without a point after 20 rounds, according to our 2026 F1 standings breakdown. Perez finished 16th in front of his home fans in Mexico City, as covered in our Mexico City Grand Prix recap, and 18th in Sao Paulo.

Bottas: "In my head, it should be okay"

Bottas, a 10-time Grand Prix winner, also returned with Cadillac after a season on the sidelines with Mercedes, and he also signed a multi-year deal. But the team has not yet exercised the option that would keep him in the car for 2027, according to Formula 1 (opens in a new tab).

"In my head, it should be okay," Bottas said before the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. "You know, that's what I signed up for, for the long term. And, I haven't heard anything other than that, so in my head, it should be all good. But from my side, nothing has changed. The team has told me they don't want to change anything."

Herta, the IndyCar winner who is Cadillac's reserve, has made five practice appearances this season to earn Super Licence points, with a sixth planned in Sao Paulo in Perez's car. He is 19th in the Formula 2 standings but has impressed the team in his practice outings. Bottas suggested the team wants Herta's licence secured as a precaution.

"I understood that if he misses the Super Licence this year, then it's going to be almost impossible to get it," Bottas said. "So I'm pretty sure the team wants to have that just in case, not necessarily for next year. So that's at least what I hope."

A rough run of reliability

Bottas has retired from nine Grands Prix this season. His front left suspension failed under braking in Mexico City, sending him into the Turn 1 barrier and bringing out a red flag. He was then wheeled off the grid before the start in Sao Paulo with an issue on his car, as detailed in our Sao Paulo Grand Prix report.

"The best thing we can do is to understand, find the cause, why it exactly happened and how to make sure that it never happens again," Bottas said of the Mexico crash. "And I believe that is what we've done, so that's why I will trust the car again when I get out there."

Cadillac, which revealed its first livery during the Super Bowl in February, is one of the last teams with a 2027 seat to settle, along with Racing Bulls and Haas, which has promoted Rafael Câmara early.

Sources: Formula 1 and Cadillac Formula 1 Team. More Formula 1 coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: Cadillac Formula 1 Team