The spotlight during the United States Grand Prix weekend heavily focused on the two American teams on the grid, Haas and the newest addition, Cadillac. As the premier class looks ahead to the 2027 season and their sophomore year in Formula 1, questions surrounding the team's driver roster have suddenly intensified following the team principal's latest press conference.
On paper, Cadillac appeared to have a secured driver line-up for 2027, with both Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez holding multi-year deals. However, the situation turned intriguing when Marcin Budkowski faced questions regarding Perez nearing his 300th Grand Prix milestone and whether the squad would eye Esteban Ocon for a reserve role.
Instead of offering a straightforward confirmation that the line-up would remain entirely unchanged for the 2027 Formula 1 campaign, Budkowski opted for a cryptic response. This left the door wide open for paddock speculation regarding the long-term futures of the current drivers within the American-backed outfit.
Despite the ambiguity over future contracts, Budkowski was quick to praise the exceptional work ethic and unrelenting drive of the Mexican veteran. He emphasized that the experienced campaigner behaves anything like a driver nearing the twilight of his career.
"Look, for a driver like Checo, who, as you said, has a huge amount of experience and a number of races, I can tell you he doesn’t behave or drive like a driver who is anywhere close to retirement," Budkowski stated while highlighting his ongoing contributions.
He further elaborated on the intensity brought by the veteran racer, noting, "He’s pushing very hard behind the wheel. He’s pushing us very hard also behind the scenes, in the debrief rooms and outside, and regularly texting me and other members of the team to push us to improve. He’s hungry, he’s motivated, and that’s actually really good to see. He does it in his own style."
Addressing queries about potential external interest from other drivers on the market, Budkowski admitted that inquiries are a constant part of a team principal's daily life. However, he firmly reiterated that media scrums are not the appropriate venue for discussing driver contracts.
"So, there are a number of drivers and managers who have contacted me. I’m not going to say who it is or who it isn’t, but pretty much all of them that are on the market have been in touch, as you’d expect," he noted. When pressed once more regarding the validity of existing deals, he concluded that any official updates would be delivered strictly through formal team announcements.
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