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Cadillac’s F1 team has disclosed its drivers’ roster for the inaugural season, and it is covered with two ex-race winners who come back in a new format. Bottas and Checo Perez are the drivers who will now carry forward the carmaker’s project, a signal that the new setup is emphasizing experience and stability. The unmasking of the two drivers has closed the rumors and other speculations but has opened a very intriguing narrative in the paddock of 2025.
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The decision is clear for a rookie outfit. One does not construct an office tower on a weak foundation. Cadillac has managed to source the superb granite of Bottas and Perez as the base for their team of champion flyer. The official statement features the pair donning their team gear, confirming that both drivers are back to their niched places. Bottas is back after a year away from the scene and Perez has assured himself of a place for the upcoming season after a long stay with Red Bull.
The pairing is an innovative fusion of opposites and similarities. The drivers have largely been on the back foot in the recent past—they were the backup drivers for the champs whose titles won the most times—Bottas next to Hamilton at Mercedes and Perez next to Verstappen at Red Bull. They bring along a combined track record of 16 Grand Prix wins and over a hundred podium finishes, but fans have already started to cast their ballots.
The new pairing of drivers has already received mixed, but very prompt reactions, which are showing how different the two drivers are viewed. One supporter of the duo went as far as to give them a very positive label of “two unsung heroes,” expressed his/her/its wish to “see them help” the new project. This notion accords credit to their unexciting but skilled careers that were overshadowed most of the times by their more charismatic colleagues.
However, not all the feedback was in favor. Commentary variance among the crowds was noticeable. “Valtteri is a big yes, Checo, I am not so sure,” one onlooker said, directly revealing the doubt that accompanies some people’s view of Perez’s recent rides. Such a division sets the ground for one of the most interesting storylines of the first season: who of the senior drivers will become the ace in the hole for Team Cadillac?
The dispute took no time to spread from the area of personal taste to the very soul of F1 history. A netizen based his view of their respective historical roles on an almost trivial fact, saying, “Bottas made sure that George Russell would not be a rival for prime Hamilton,” while “Perez kept homegrown Red Bull drivers from competing with Max.” The commentator considered these as unresolved issues in the sport’s narrative and positioned both drivers as the ones who could determine who gets through and who does not during their reign at the top of the teams.
Between all the technical debates, the human factor sometimes came to the surface. One of such moments was the note from a parent who was humorously letting us into the inner world of a toddler being a fan. The user wrote, “My daughter (15 years), who loves Bottas so much, can’t wait for the day she’ll be able to see him race at the circuit.” The user was connecting with the audience in a simple, but very effective way by pointing out that behind the business announcements and performance reports, the sport connects to individuals and families.
As always, humor found its way in. One user said that “Valtteri is coming back from the dead” was the impression created about the drivers by the picture of the announcement, thus making an ironic allusion to the long period of ‘silly season’ speculation rumors. Another one brought in a geographic feeling of tribalism, claiming, “Have to support the South Australian (we are claiming him) Valtteri Bottas.” The latter refers to the Finnish driver’s adopted home and the fans’ allegiance to him in Adelaide.
It is logical that skeptics are not overly optimistic about a new team using a customer Ferrari power unit. “Nice for developing team but not fast enough to compete with the young talents that are available right now,” one doubter asserted, thus implying that Cadillac let slip an opportunity to train a rookie driver. While another rather firmly said, “Ferrari engine doesn’t inspire confidence,” pointing out the very competitive nature of the racing field that the team will have to overcome.
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The chatter about the driver lineup is definitely one of the central points that are generating people’s expectation towards the coming season. “This year is gonna be massive,” one user prophesied and it seems that many feel the same way. The coming of Cadillac marks a great occasion for American motorsport and following them up with the well-known and reliable faces of Bottas and Perez is quite like setting up a confidence bridge. Their assignment will not only be to score points but also to create the team. They arrive with their known strengths