Here's the thing about Formula 1 silly season: sometimes the most surprising names land right in the frame. As The Race reports, Cadillac's 2027 driver line-up is far from settled, and reserve driver Colton Herta is firmly in contention to step into Valtteri Bottas's seat. Both Bottas and Sergio Perez arrived at Cadillac on long-term deals for the team's 2026 debut, but team boss Marcin Budkowski kept his cards close to his chest when pressed on the 2027 line-up during the Austin press conference on Friday, noting that official team releases will handle contracts when the time is right.
Perez looks entirely safe, having been the stronger half of the garage and consistently pushing the outfit forward behind the scenes. While the pair have been relatively close in qualifying with Perez leading 13-9, Sunday afternoons tell a different story. Perez holds a commanding advantage, with Bottas spending a mere 18% of their shared racing laps ahead of his teammate. Compounding matters are brutal weekends like Singapore, where Bottas mysteriously circulated roughly 1.5 seconds off Perez's pace without a clear explanation.
That leaves the door wide open for 26-year-old Herta, even if his transition from IndyCar to Formula 2 this year has been a self-described disappointment. Sitting 19th out of 22 full-time drivers with just the Qatar and Abu Dhabi rounds remaining, Herta admitted the campaign has raised more questions than answers. Fortunately for him, Cadillac isn't deterred by the struggles, fully aware of how brutal that switch can be, and the team has been genuinely impressed by his work in their F1 machinery.
Because his F2 championship finish won't yield superlicence points, Cadillac is actively stepping in to ensure he reaches the vital 40-point threshold. Herta completed his fourth FP1 outing of the year in Austin on Friday, though a technical gremlin at Monza halted his running short of the 100km required for a bonus point there. Combined with his 30 points for finishing as runner-up to champion Alex Palou in IndyCar in 2024, he sits just a single point shy of the target. Further FP1 running is planned before the year ends to push him over the line, supplementing private running in an older Alpine ground effect-era car at Portimao arranged via a rival team deal.
Beyond Herta, other names are inevitably circling the grid's most appealing open seat. Esteban Ocon has explored his options after losing his drive to Ferrari junior Rafael Camara, though he is not expected to join Cadillac and is instead linked to a reserve role at Aston Martin. Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda's representatives have been in contact with Cadillac following his brief three-race return with Racing Bulls, putting him in the mix alongside other interested drivers reaching out.
Cadillac is under no pressure to rush a final decision with none of the candidates holding alternative race seats locked down elsewhere. Should they ultimately choose to make a change for 2027, however, they will first need to navigate an arrangement regarding Bottas's long-term contract.
