Why the 'boring' Sergio Perez-Valtteri Bottas partnership is the best lineup for Cadillac

Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas are reportedly the frontrunners to get the seat at Cadillac. This has led to adverse reactions on both sides, with some fans not happy with the team fielding 'two older drivers.'

At the same time, we have fans of both Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas welcoming the move. The move has even been categorized as 'boring' by a few people, as there's no new, exciting talent that the team has targeted, and at the same time, the two veterans aren't bringing any new energy to the outfit.

The reality, however, is that if we're Graeme Lowdon and we're building a team from the ground, a Bottas-Perez lineup is the best possible option. Here's why!

Both Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas have operated with top teams

With Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac would get two drivers who have been part of teams that dominated the sport in the last decade or so. Bottas was with Mercedes during its heyday, while Perez was with Red Bull.

When you're part of a project like that, you learn a lot, and a lot of that culture gets inculcated into you as well. There are these best practices that teams like Mercedes and Red Bull would have followed while dominating the sport, which could be valuable to a team like Cadillac that is quite literally taking its first step into the world of F1.

Cadillac needs a reliable midfield pair to start its F1 journey

With Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, Cadillac might not be getting the best upcoming talent in an F1 car. What they're getting is a safe pair of hands that would put the car where it deserves to be.

The duo is a reliable pair, and neither of them is too far off their peaks. In the first few years, the most important thing for any team is having drivers who can get you the result that a car deserves, and at the same time not crash into the walls too many times.

In Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, there are two safe pairs of hands who would more often than not get the job done for the team.

A rookie does nothing for the team

Finally, and maybe a slightly humbling reality that Cadillac does understand at this point, is that this team has almost nothing to offer to a young, upcoming talent at this stage. The team is going to be at a very nascent stage when it first begins operations, and it would be a shocker if it is anywhere other than right at the back of the grid when the racing begins in 2026.

This team is going to need multiple years at the very least to get to a respectable place and start attracting young aspirational talent, which is precisely why a lineup of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez works perfectly.

Edited by Charanjot Singh Kohli