Cadillac F1 is evaluating its driver options for the 2027 Formula 1 season, with Mercedes reserve driver Frederik Vesti emerging as a potential replacement for Valtteri Bottas. The Finnish driver’s future has become increasingly uncertain following an unconvincing 2026 campaign, while Sergio Perez appears to have secured his position within the American team. Colton Herta remains a leading candidate for the second seat, with Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson also among the possible alternatives.
The Cadillac Formula 1 project, which has begun to attract growing questions, now faces a fundamental decision over its driver line-up for next season. While Perez has strengthened his position, Cadillac appears unwilling to offer Bottas definitive guarantees about his future. That uncertainty has opened the door to several potential replacements, some more realistic than others, with Vesti gaining increasing attention in recent weeks.
The Danish driver is no stranger to Cadillac. His career connects him both to Mercedes, where he serves as reserve driver, and to the American manufacturer’s endurance racing programme. That unusual double connection could prove important when General Motors decides who should partner Perez. However, Vesti is only one name under consideration, with Herta appearing to be the strongest contender and Tsunoda and Lawson representing further possibilities.
Valtteri Bottas faces uncertainty over his Cadillac F1 contract for 2027
When Cadillac announced the signings of Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas during the summer of 2025, both drivers were presented as having agreed multi-year contracts. The initial impression was that the American team intended to build its Formula 1 debut around experience and continuity, two qualities considered particularly valuable during such a challenging introductory phase.
However, the situation has gradually changed. Perez has secured a further contract extension, strengthening his position within the organisation, while the future of his Finnish team-mate remains unresolved. The Mexican driver’s importance to Cadillac also extends beyond his experience on the circuit, given the commercial influence and sponsorship relationships Sergio Perez brings to the American project.
Bottas, who comes from Nastola in Finland, continues to regard 2027 as a season already covered by his original contractual agreement. From his perspective, there should therefore be little reason to question his continued presence at Cadillac. The difficulty is that the final decision does not depend exclusively on the driver’s wishes or the agreements already reached. It must also receive approval from the senior management of General Motors.
Comments made by Bottas during the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend highlighted precisely that uncertainty. Although he expressed confidence in the terms of his existing agreement, he also acknowledged that his situation differs from that of Perez, whose extension has already been formalised.
“I think it makes sense. That’s what the document says, and that’s why I’m fairly confident. Checo has signed an extension, I haven’t yet. But in a big company, there are always board meetings where decisions are made. I think it will happen soon. Everything has to be confirmed by the people in charge in the United States.”
His explanation illustrates how closely Cadillac’s decision-making process is connected to GM’s wider industrial and management strategies. This is not simply a sporting assessment of a driver’s competitiveness. Choosing the second race driver also involves commercial opportunities, the American market and the desire to establish a recognisable identity for the new Formula 1 team.
Mercedes reserve Frederik Vesti emerges as Cadillac F1 contender
Frederik Vesti has emerged as an intriguing option for Cadillac following another season spent working within the Mercedes organisation, including appearances in several Formula 1 free practice sessions. His performance at the Mexico City Grand Prix helped increase his visibility, particularly after he secured third place in the session in which he participated. It was a significant result, especially considering the circumstances in which it was achieved.
The Dane finished runner-up in the 2023 Formula 2 championship and has already demonstrated the credentials required to pursue a place on the Formula 1 grid. Unlike some of the other candidates, he also has an established relationship with Cadillac through its IMSA programme, where he races for the American manufacturer in endurance competition.
That existing connection could make his integration into Cadillac’s Formula 1 operation easier, given his familiarity with the organisation from both sporting and operational perspectives. His experience with Mercedes provides another dimension to a candidacy that is becoming increasingly relevant as the team considers its options.
Vesti has made no secret of his Formula 1 ambitions and regards the potential opportunity with Cadillac as a realistic route into the championship.
“There’s no doubt that I’ve got my eyes on that seat, and it would be a real privilege to get it.”
Why Colton Herta remains a leading candidate for Cadillac’s 2027 seat
Despite Vesti’s growing prominence, he faces significant competition from Colton Herta. The American driver represents a particularly attractive option for Cadillac because of the manufacturer’s ambition to establish a strong presence in its domestic market.
Herta’s experience in American motorsport and the recognition he has already gained in the United States offer advantages that extend well beyond his performance behind the wheel. Those qualities make him, at least on paper, the leading contender for the position.
Cadillac is not simply looking for a driver capable of filling a vacant seat. It needs someone who fits a broader project involving industrial, sporting and commercial ambitions. From that perspective, Herta possesses characteristics that would be difficult for the American manufacturer to overlook.
The contrasting cases of Vesti and Herta highlight the complexity of Cadillac’s decision. The Dane offers existing technical and organisational connections through Mercedes and Cadillac’s endurance programme, while the American provides a potentially valuable combination of sporting credentials and commercial appeal in a strategically important market.
Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson also linked to Cadillac F1
The search for Cadillac’s second driver is not limited to Frederik Vesti and Colton Herta. Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson have also been linked with the American team, although their respective circumstances are rather different.
Tsunoda continues to pursue a return to Formula 1 after losing ground within the Red Bull organisation. His decision to withdraw from a previously scheduled IndyCar test has been interpreted as a sign that he wants to preserve the possibility of returning to the Formula 1 grid.
Cadillac could provide an opportunity for the Japanese driver to rebuild his career, but there is currently insufficient evidence to suggest that his candidacy is at an advanced stage.
For Lawson, the situation is also connected to the internal driver arrangements within the Red Bull group. Should the New Zealander lose his Racing Bulls seat to Nikola Tsolov, his available options could become extremely limited. In that scenario, Cadillac would represent one of the few realistic alternatives capable of keeping him on the Formula 1 grid.
Attention has also turned to the harsh comments made by Max Verstappen following his contact with Lawson during practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix. Those remarks could be interpreted as a warning, potentially suggesting that Red Bull’s senior management has already reached a decision about the New Zealander’s future. However, that possibility remains speculative.
Guanyu Zhou and Esteban Ocon face more difficult prospects
Guanyu Zhou appears to face an even more complicated situation. The Chinese driver has worked with Cadillac in a reserve capacity and participated in activities connected to Pirelli tyre testing, but he has not managed to establish a sufficiently strong position to make a return to a full-time race seat appear likely.
Zhou himself has acknowledged that his chances of securing a Formula 1 drive for 2027 are not particularly high, although he remains determined to explore every available opportunity. Formula 1 continues to be his priority, but a move into another racing category is becoming an increasingly realistic possibility.
Esteban Ocon, meanwhile, does not appear to be an especially credible candidate for the Cadillac seat following his spell with Haas. The French driver could instead favour spending a season as a reserve driver within the Formula 1 paddock, keeping open the possibility of returning to a full-time position at a later stage.
Cadillac F1 has no intention of rushing its 2027 driver decision
Another important factor is Cadillac’s willingness to take its time. Marcin Budkowski has confirmed that an announcement concerning the team’s second race seat will be made, but he has dismissed the idea that there is any need to accelerate the process.
“There’s a time and a place for these kinds of announcements. We’re not in any particular hurry over the second seat.”
That position is understandable when considering the current driver market. Several of the drivers linked with Cadillac do not have particularly strong alternative opportunities in Formula 1. As a result, the American team can afford to wait, gather further information and carefully assess which candidate best meets its requirements.
The situation surrounding Bottas has therefore become much more than a straightforward contractual discussion. The Finn can point to his existing multi-year agreement, but he must also contend with an ownership structure that retains the final say over strategic decisions.
Vesti represents a credible alternative because of his existing relationship with Cadillac and his progress through the racing ranks. Herta, meanwhile, appears to have several factors working in his favour, particularly those that align with the American manufacturer’s broader objectives.
Ultimately, Cadillac’s final decision will reveal a great deal about the identity General Motors intends to establish for its Formula 1 operation. Selecting the team’s second driver means deciding which priorities should guide the project as its introductory phase, during which major sporting results are not necessarily expected, gradually gives way to greater competitive ambitions.
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