Cadillac have officially completed half of their driver line-up for the 2027 Formula 1 season, with Sergio Perez signing a new contract.

The team announced ahead of Perez’s home race, the Mexico City Grand Prix, that the 36-year-old had signed a new contract until at least 2029. He was already expected to stay for another year, but Cadillac have now made an emphatic, longer-term commitment.

Uncertainty persists, however, over the identity of his teammate. Cadillac bosses indicated at the US Grand Prix that Valtteri Bottas isn’t yet guaranteed to stay, and this could yet have ramifications for Liam Lawson.

Liam Lawson could give Cadillac the Valtteri Bottas ‘upgrade’ they’re looking for

The two drivers linked most heavily with Bottas’ seat so far are Colton Herta, currently Cadillac’s reserve, and Esteban Ocon.

However, recent reporting suggests that Ocon won’t join Cadillac after losing his spot at Haas. According to Planet F1’s Thomas Maher, he simply isn’t seen as a big enough ‘upgrade’ over Bottas.

Likewise, while Herta gives Cadillac the American presence they are ultimately looking for, his record in Formula 2 – he is currently 19th in the standings – undeniably raises questions.

Yuki Tsunoda is an outsider for Cadillac, while it emerged that Liam Lawson’s management have made contact with the scoreless newcomers. Racing Bulls still haven’t confirmed Lawson’s fate despite his excellent 2026 form.

Maher said: “I’ve heard that there has been contact between Ocon and the Cadillac camp, but Esteban is maybe not seen as a big enough upgrade to merit the disruption of taking Bottas out, ruining that continuity and momentum that he has, to put Ocon on.”

Lawson leads what has been dubbed ‘Formula 1.5’ this year, outscoring every other driver outside the top four teams with 77 points. However, he is ultimately viewed as a stop-gap at Racing Bulls, who were set up to develop talent for Red Bull.

Lawson isn’t likely to return to Red Bull after his infamous two-race stint in 2025, so even if he is offered an extension for 2027, it will likely be a stay of execution. Formula 2 title hopeful Nikola Tsolov might spend a year as reserve driver but there will be a push to get him in the car for ’28.

In that context, it would arguably be in the best interest of both parties for Lawson to move. And if he becomes available, he will surely tempt Cadillac.

“Liam Lawson, he does represent an upgrade,” said Maher. “How can you argue that the ninth-place finisher of this year is not an upgrade on Valtteri Bottas?”

He later added: “The way it’s been put to me is that Bottas is safe because of the lack of a visible upgrade in driver.”

There is a legitimate case that, in terms of consistency and quality of performance, Lawson has been one of the top-five drivers on the grid this year.

Ocon would probably fall at the other end of the scale, having been convincingly beaten by Haas sophomore Oliver Bearman.

For Lawson, joining Cadillac would mean accepting short-term pain in the hope of long-term gain. They are likely to prop up the pecking order again in 2027, though the gap to the lower-midfield teams should close.

Eventually, they will become a General Motors works team, which gives them the kind of stature required to challenge the established elite. Racing Bulls are on course for fifth place this year, but that’s almost certainly their ceiling.

At the age of 24, Lawson can afford to invest in a multi-year project, though he could be forgiven for taking the safe option if he has to choose between Cadillac and his current team.