Hamilton says Cadillac chose "the right guys" and that he misses working with Bottas

Lewis Hamilton has shared his thoughts on Cadillac's driver lineup for 2026. His old teammate Valtteri Bottas will join Sergio Perez.

Lewis Hamilton thinks Cadillac made the correct choice when they chose Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez as their drivers for 2026. The seven-time World Champion said he still misses working with Bottas, who used to be his teammate.

Cadillac stated just before the second half of the season that the veteran duo will be their lineup for the team's first season next year. This means that both drivers will be back on the grid after not racing in 2025.

Several drivers, like Perez's old Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen, were happy to hear the news. Hamilton was also happy to see Bottas return, since they raced together at Mercedes from 2017 to 2021.

Hamilton said, "I don't need to say anything about his talent because he's shown it throughout his career," when asked what kind of driver Cadillac was getting.

"But [they're] getting one of the most honest, perhaps the funniest Finns I can think of, and just the most real person to work with. I miss working with him.

"I believe they picked the right people." It's clear that Sergio has a lot of experience, so we'll see what happens with him, too. "That knowledge that they both bring from two great teams will help them move forward more quickly."

Bottas and Perez do have a lot of experience, with a total of 527 Grand Prix starts and 16 Grand Prix wins between them.

When asked if he thinks it's a good idea to have two seasoned players back in the sport, Hamilton said, "I think so." I think the grid is a good combination.

"I think it's great to have an extra team. I think you need experienced drivers to help a team grow, especially when it's a brand new one."

"You've got two different flavors coming from Red Bull and Mercedes, each with its own knowledge and experience that they can both add to the mix to help the team move forward faster."