Former Haas F1 team boss Guenther Steiner has voiced his support for two experienced drivers at the incoming Cadillac Formula 1 team as he named Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez as his ideal choice if he were in charge.
Speaking on F1 Explains, Steiner advised the American outfit to favour experience over a younger and inexperienced rookie.
“If I were Cadillac, I would look to experienced drivers, the same reason I said before. In a young team, the best is to get experience in people who have done it, who help the team to get going, who help the team to make progress quicker than the rookies.
“For me, the ideal team would be Bottas and Sergio Perez. I would bring them two in,” Steiner opined.
Steiner’s opinion carries a certain weight after he managed the arrival of Haas F1 team to the grid in 2016. Formulating the US squad’s driver selection until his exit ahead of the 2025 season, the Italian managed a number of experienced and talented drivers throughout his tenure such as Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg.
Sergio Perez was dropped by Red Bull after a disappointing 2024 campaign after he struggled to match Max Verstappen’s strong performance in the Milton Keynes machinery. But until this point, he was an important part of the team, having a strong hand in his team-mate’s first championship win in 2021 and successfully completing Red Bull’s first 1-2 finish in the drivers’ standings in 2023.
While he struggled under the pressure of the likes of Helmut Marko and Christian Horner, Steiner believes he would thrive in a less pressured environment.
Guenther Steiner, Miami Grand Prix Ambassador
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
“Maybe put him on a one-year contract. It’s a lot better than having old rookies in there. That’s an opportunity for Checo,” he told GPBlog in a separate interview.
“And by then, a year of digesting the beating from Max [Verstappen], he recovers from the Dutch beating, so it could bring him to a better place again.
“I would say he could have value for Cadillac.”
Similarly, Bottas lost his seat at Sauber at the end of the 2024 season and now serves as Mercedes’ reserve. He also has strong experience as a rear gunner for Lewis Hamilton before he led the Hinwil team alongside Zhou Guanyu.
After being approved for its F1 entry in March of this year, Cadillac will become the 11th team on the grid come 2026. This substantial undertaking is backed by General Motors and sees Graeme Lowdon lead as team principal.
Mario Andretti, sat on the team’s board of directors, said the following on the subject:
“From our standpoint, I think the play at the beginning would be to have one experienced driver – nationality doesn’t matter – and then a young American talent. These are the objectives at the moment.”
American IndyCar driver Colton Herta is reportedly in the mix.
