Graeme Lowdon has insisted that Cadillac has no regrets over choosing Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez for its debut Formula 1 season. Although the American team remains on zero points and appears to be active in the driver market, its team principal believes the experienced pairing has played a fundamental role in building the new operation.
Cadillac entered Formula 1 in 2026 while the championship was simultaneously adapting to an extensive new set of technical regulations. That combination presented the team with the usual difficulties associated with a debut campaign, as well as the additional challenge of understanding a completely new generation of cars and power units.
Graeme Lowdon’s confidence in Bottas and Perez has grown
Speaking to AutoHebdo, Graeme Lowdon explained that the opening months of the season have reinforced his belief that Cadillac made the right decision by recruiting Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez.
“My opinion has not changed; if anything, the last few months we have spent together have strengthened it,” Graeme Lowdon said. “In addition to the typical difficulties faced by a debuting team, we have also had to manage those linked to the new regulations, with so many new elements to absorb at the same time.
“Through all of that, the contribution of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez has been fundamental: they are helping us on every front.”
Cadillac’s results have illustrated the scale of the task. The team reached the summer break without scoring a point, while reliability and development problems have complicated its attempt to close the gap to the established teams. Graeme Lowdon has already admitted that Cadillac’s debut has proved more difficult than expected.
Bottas and Perez bring championship-winning experience
The reasoning behind Cadillac’s driver choice was based on the experience Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez gained while winning Grands Prix and working within championship-winning organisations. Rather than asking inexperienced drivers to help establish an entirely new Formula 1 operation, Cadillac selected two veterans capable of providing detailed technical feedback and helping shape the team’s working methods.
Their knowledge is giving Cadillac a stronger technical and organisational foundation as it works through its first season. Both drivers understand the standards required by leading teams and can help the new organisation identify weaknesses in its car, trackside procedures and development processes.
That input has become particularly valuable during a campaign affected by recurring technical setbacks. Valtteri Bottas has described the extent of Cadillac’s persistent brake problems, one of several issues the team has had to address while simultaneously trying to improve performance.
Cadillac remains committed despite difficult 2026 results
Cadillac’s lack of points has inevitably increased scrutiny of the project and its future driver plans. However, Graeme Lowdon’s comments make clear that any activity in the market does not reflect regret over the decision to begin the programme with Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez.
The pair’s contribution extends beyond their results on the circuit. Their experience is helping Cadillac accelerate a learning process that would otherwise be even more difficult for a completely new team competing under unfamiliar regulations.
Cadillac’s 2026 mid-season review highlighted how careful preparation was undermined by development and reliability setbacks. Despite those problems, the team remains convinced that Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez are providing the technical knowledge and organisational guidance required to create a more competitive foundation.
Cadillac must still turn that experience into stronger performance and its first Formula 1 points. For Graeme Lowdon, however, the opening half of the season has strengthened rather than weakened the belief that choosing two proven Grand Prix winners was the best possible way to begin the team’s Formula 1 journey.
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