Cadillac backs Perez, rejects Williams link for 2027
NXTbets Pro | Published On: August 13, 2026
Cadillac backs Perez
Cadillac boss Marcin Budkowski and CEO Dan Towriss have shut down talk linking Sergio Perez to Williams and made clear they want him to stay. Budkowski said keeping Perez is a priority for Cadillac, a message that fits the team’s broader plan as it tries to build a new Formula 1 operation from the ground up. The team has no plans to change its driver lineup next season, and the leadership wants stability while it works through the early stages of its debut campaign.
Budkowski said Cadillac needs experience and stability because it is a young team. That point sits at the center of the decision around Perez and Valtteri Bottas. Cadillac brought both drivers in to give the project a steady base, and the team is treating that pairing as part of the long-term build rather than something to revisit quickly. Towriss echoed that view, saying he is confident Perez will remain with Cadillac. Budkowski also took the opportunity to back the Mexican driver’s work away from the results sheet, saying Perez has been driving exceptionally well and helping push development behind the scenes.
Perez delivers pace
Perez has given Cadillac more than just seat time in its first season. Budkowski’s public support reflects what the team sees in the garage and on the data sheets. Perez has not scored a point because of the car’s pace, but Cadillac says his contribution still matters. He has led Bottas 9-5 in qualifying, including sprint sessions, which gives the team a clear sign that he has been stronger on Saturdays during the opening stretch of the program.
That edge in qualifying has mattered because Cadillac has often fought uphill before the races even begin. Perez nearly scored the team’s first Formula 1 point in Monaco after a penalty dropped him from 10th to 15th. That close call fits the broader picture around the team. Perez has had flashes of front-running performance when the car has cooperated, and Cadillac has pointed to those moments as proof that he is still delivering in a difficult environment. Budkowski’s message was straightforward. Perez is contributing, the team values that contribution and Cadillac wants to keep building around it.
Cadillac endures setbacks
Cadillac’s debut season has been defined by problems as much as by progress. Reliability issues, including brake fires, have slowed the team and kept it from turning isolated strong runs into points. After 11 rounds, Cadillac sits last in the constructors’ standings and remains the only team without a point. That kind of start would test any new entrant, and it has made the case for patience even stronger inside the organization.
The strain has also shown up in the race results. Perez has four race retirements and Bottas has five, with failures and related problems cutting into the team’s ability to finish races and gather data. For a young operation, that has been a major obstacle. Cadillac needs clean weekends to learn, and it has had too few of them. The team also made a change at the top during the summer break, when Budkowski replaced Graeme Lowdon as team principal. That move came as Cadillac kept its focus on building the operation and sorting through the growing pains that come with a first Formula 1 season.
Even with the poor start, Cadillac has held its line on the driver front. The team sees no reason to shake up the lineup while it is still laying its foundation. That stance gives Perez and Bottas a chance to keep working through the problems together, and it leaves Cadillac with a clear message for the months ahead. The team wants continuity, it wants experience and it wants time to turn a difficult debut into a more stable second act.
