Formula 1 News: Salo warns Cadillac against signing Perez

(GMM) A former Formula 1 driver, Mika Salo, does not believe Cadillac should resurrect Sergio Perez’s (pictured) stalled career.

This week, just as Valtteri Bottas teased his social media followers with a tongue-in-cheek Cadillac-themed post, a British specialist media report said the Finn is near pole position for a 2026 seat at F1’s new eleventh team.

Fellow Finn Mika Salo thinks Bottas, 35, would be a good pick for Cadillac, as the new team reportedly hopes to sign its first driver within weeks.

Former F1 driver Mika Salo now has a role with the FIA

“It’s a new team,” he told Ilta Sanomat newspaper, “so experience is an asset. Valtteri has good experience from Mercedes.

“He’s now been able to feel and watch from the sidelines in peace, rather than drive, and I think someone like Valtteri would be absolutely the right choice,” added Salo.

“An experienced driver brings knowledge and skill to the team. He can also tell you who else might be worth hiring around him,” said the former Toyota and Ferrari driver.

“I don’t like speculate on these things, but it would be good if Valtteri drove in F1 again next season. He’s in the game, anyway.

“Finns are good for these projects – no politics, just straight to the point. A Finn would fit in really well with such a new team,” added Salo, 58.

It is believed Cadillac’s plan is to pair an experienced driver like Bottas with a younger – ideally American – newcomer from the US-based racing scene.

Another potential Cadillac pick in the experienced category is Sergio Perez, who told the BLCK MNKY program Desde El Paddock this week that he thinks Red Bull is “very sorry” about the way their collaboration ended last year.

“An apology?” Perez started. “No, I think that in the end, that’s how sport is, and decisions were made because there was already too much pressure, which they themselves ended up generating.”

Perez, also 35 like Bottas, is still backed by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim’s companies and now handled by a new manager – the well-known Lebanese motorsport entrepreneur Khalil Beschir.

When asked about talks with Cadillac or other F1 teams about 2026, the Mexican driver admitted: “It’s going well, but it’s still early.

“I think as the year progresses, everything will become clearer, and I’ll be able to make a final decision,” Perez added.

“I know I won’t be in Formula 1 this year, and we’ll see what happens next year.”

Salo, however, warns Cadillac against signing Perez.

“I don’t think Perez would be a good option,” he said.

“I would take two experienced European drivers who are not as inconsistent as Perez. If they can’t find two, then a younger guy who can learn from the other.”