Why is Czech Pérez the best option for Cadillac?

Checo Pérez is available and Cadillac times seem to be synchronized, but why is it the best option for American team?

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Cadillac is almost ready to make your debut in the Formula 1 In 2026 … almost, because, although they already have a factory, motor, advisors still lack the pilots. Candidates are left over, but if we adjust to what was said by the team, the best pilot available to cover one of those seats is Sergio Pérez.

The Mexican is available and the times for Cadillac seem to be synchronized, but why is Czech Pérez perfectly in team 11 of the F1?

First, because the most famous member of Cadillac, the 1978 world champion and automobile legend, Mario Andretti He said in an interview with the “Racing Team” podcast that are very clear about internally delineated profiles for pilots who will integrate the team in 2026.

The first must be a steering wheel born in the United States, which even name and surname: Colton Herta.

Bryan Herta’s son, the same one who was the victim of the famous overflow of Alex Zanardi in the “Sacacorchos” curve in 1996, is a pilot of the Andretti team in Indycar and last year he was runner -up of the category.

Colton Herta currently has 39 points for the super license of the FIA, which requires 40 to compete in the F1. Those points have gathered them in the last four years and could add one more, the one who lacks, with carrying out an official free practice with some team in 2025.

To obtain the super license, after the pandemic and in addition to certain theoretical exams, the results of three of the most recent four years of competition are taken into account, so if Herta had to wait until the end of 2025, a fourth place In Indycar he would reach him perfectly.

Let’s put that Herta gets the points, the other pilot must be, according to Andretti, one with recent experience in F1, regardless of his nationality.

Why Czech could be?

That’s where he enters Checo Pérez exactly. If a team is going to hire a pilot who has no seat, the most recent experience is the most valuable for the knowledge of new technologies, engines, rules, clues, even for the fresh memory of competing against the rest of the grill and In the series.

Broad and recent experience

Checo Pérez is the pilot without a seat in the market with more experience.

• Fourteen seasons in five different teams: Sauber, McLaren, Force India, Racing Point and Red Bull.

• Six victories, three pole posations, 1,638 points, 12 fast laps, 39 podiums in 281 large torn prizes.

• Four years as coequipero of Max Verstappen in Red Bullwhich is a true record.

• Work and knowledge with four different engines, including Ferrari

When you develop a Formula 1 car, the pilot’s previous experience in the manageability of an engine is very valuable.

Czech Pérez has gone through several regulations, saw the birth of the hybrid era and its development since 2014. It has also conducted cars with Ferrari power units, Mercedes, Honda and Red Bull Power Trains.

A marketing star

Czech Pérez was until 2024 one of the most popular F1 pilots and certainly the most popular in North America.

Any association with him guarantees a very important fans basis with the usual spill in merchandise and media exposure.

Cadillac wants to strengthen as a pilot from the United States and the Latin community in that country follows Tapatío Pérez very strongly.

Good age and good developer pilot

Despite what is said, Czech Pérez is a very good pilot, capable of developing a car, with a good feedback and trial that guides engineers.

In Red Bull, Pérez’s complaints about the stability of RB20 and since the RB19 were dismissed and, eventually they were successful.

Checo Pérez marked his career in the F1 as a pilot who knows how to get the car more than he has, to deliver results above expectations.

At 35 years old, the Mexican has maturity to lead a team, is fast and reliable.

One by one, other pilots in the market for Cadillac

If the pilots are analyzed without a starting place in the F1, which are somehow available for Cadillac we can see, in addition to Pérez, those who had action in 2024:

We have a Valtteri Bottas (With reserve contract with Mercedes, Guanyu Zhou (brand new Ferrari reserve), Daniel Ricciardo (discarded in 2024 by Racing Bulls), Logan Sargeant (who lost Williams’s seat with Franco Colapint And whose step in F1 was to forget) or KMagnussen Evin (IMSA pilot, who was released by Haas).

Of all of them, obviously with greater reason those that remain as pilots reserve in other teams are good candidates, especially Bottas, but the third pilot’s work is usually not compatible with the tasks of a pilot who must work in the Cadillac factory in the development of another car, and in the case of Finn, with a different engine.

Zhou, who is with Ferrari as we said, is compatible in the part of the power unit, which will be supplied from Maranello to the new team, but the Chinese pilot is very young and, perhaps, it is not the profile that Cadillac seeks .

Ricciardo was recently unmarked in an interview and said that his time in F1 had ended, in addition that his last years in the highest category suffered more than competing them.

Magnussen could always be an option available. The Danish has remained, with this, three times without a seat in F1. First, it was displaced by Fernando Alonso In McLaren in 2015, then in 2021 by Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin In Haas, and by 2025 he left his place to Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon.

Kevin was hired by BMW for the development of his LMDH car program and already participated in the 24 hours of Daytona, but it has not been said what seat the rest of the year will take.

Other pilots with experience in F1, but disconnected

We must exhaust the options before qualifying Czech Pérez as the ideal one for Cadillac, that’s why we can go further back with pilots who have been in F1

They are, for example, Nyck de Vries, who is now in Formula E and after passing through Alphatauri and being abruptly fired by the team at mid -season 2023. The Dutch lived a bitter experience of 11 great awards and although he is a 30th pilot of 30 30 Years, its passage in F1 is very short and relative.

Mick Schumacher, son of the legend, ran in 2021 and 2022 with Haas. Last year was a Mercedes reserve and does not lose hope of returning to F1.

The problem with Mick Schumacher is that with that last name, with a good amount of auspices or the possibility of having them, he does not get an opportunity after he left Haas with bad results.

Everyone estimates Mick and, in honor of his father, has received a lot of support, but in F1 nobody gives him a seat. In 2025 he will run again for Alpine at the Wec with Antonio Giovinazzi, who since 2022 is a reserve in Ferrari and Hypercars pilot with the scudery with whom he has won the 24 hours of Le Mans of 2023 and 2024, is the classic Italian flying that It serves as a second table dish in Maranello.

They may believe that Giovinazzi is good, but not so good as to have another opportunity after Haas and his place is better in the Wec.

There are more names such as: Romain Grosjean (experienced, today in Indycar, but does not go up to a F1 since 2020 and has already worked, without success in Andretti Indycar); Pietro Fittipaldi (a lot of surname, little experience, only two GP’s in your belt, five years ago); Daniil Kvyat (got off in 2020), Stoffel Vandoorne (headline in McLaren in 2018 and reserve in Woking and Aston Martin. Experience, but without media impact).

Thinking about the return of Sebastian Vettel is highly unlikely, because the German prioritizes his family and undertaking in a new team would be a very demanding work.

Marcus Ericsson already works for Cadillac

Apart case is Marcus Ericsson. The Swedish ran a couple of years in F1, but since 2018 he does not. In his favor it is that the blond and fast flying works for Andretti in the Indycar, has won Indy 500 and, much more important, it was already taken into account by its employers to actively collaborate in the selection of the simulators who will acquire Cadillac for the factory In England.

Ericsson assumed the parcel with speed and seriousness. This does not mean that he will work on the development of the car or that he becomes a pilot in F1 again, but he already works on the project and that is something.

The Drugovich case

Felipe Drugovich looks for an opportunity, he has talent, he is young, but he lacks a starting experience in F1.

The Brazilian credentials of Formula 2 champion in 2022 and has been a pilot reserve of Aston Martin with constant participation in FP1, along with competing, first in European Le Mans Series and, then in IMSA.

The Cadillac Whelen team, where it runs in IMSA, has little to do with that of F1, since it is owned by Jim France, CEO of Nascar.

The issue of experience seems to be its greatest limiting.

In conclusion, if Czech Pérez still has the hunger to return to F1 is the best cadillac option, but if not, Valtteri Bottas can be the experienced man they are looking for, the rest below the aspirations of the new team.