Valtteri Bottas is preparing for a return to the Formula 1 grid in the 2026 season. While the Finnish driver appears increasingly close to joining the new Cadillac F1 team, reports suggest that Alpine is also in contact with him. Toto Wolff, team principal of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team and Bottas’s current employer as a reserve driver, recently confirmed these developments and shed light on the situation. Here are all the details.
Negotiations are ongoing as Valtteri Bottas seeks a full-time racing seat for the upcoming Formula 1 season. Currently serving as Mercedes’s third driver during what many consider a “sabbatical year,” the experienced Finnish driver is actively engaging with various teams to secure his return to the race grid.
With 11 seasons and over 200 Grand Prix starts under his belt, Bottas remains a highly respected figure in Formula 1. His experience has attracted the attention of Cadillac, the new American team that will join the F1 grid as the eleventh constructor in 2026. Following several contacts and discussions with Cadillac, Bottas is still seen as the frontrunner to secure one of their race seats.
However, as Toto Wolff recently revealed, there are other viable options on the table, notably the possibility of Valtteri Bottas moving to Alpine — a scenario that is gaining momentum.
Toto Wolff on talks with Flavio Briatore and Bottas’s future
Valtteri Bottas has never hidden his ambition to race full-time in Formula 1 in 2026, and his team principal is well aware of this determination. Toto Wolff disclosed that he has held multiple discussions with Flavio Briatore, Alpine’s team principal, regarding Bottas’s potential transfer to the French squad.
“We have had contact more than once, actually,” Wolff told media outlets including MotorsportWeek. “Just today, I saw Flavio Briatore, and we talked about Valtteri Bottas. It seems that their interest in Valtteri is growing even more.”
Flavio Briatore maintains a close working relationship with Toto Wolff and Valtteri Bottas, especially given that Alpine will become a Mercedes engine customer starting in 2026. The French team recently signed a contract to use Mercedes power units through the 2030 season.
From Toto Wolff’s perspective, it is in Mercedes’s best interest that Valtteri Bottas finds a competitive seat elsewhere if he cannot secure a place within their own team. Wolff does not want to hold Bottas back, especially knowing the Finnish driver still has much to offer on track: “He deserves that seat,” Toto Wolff stated openly. “If someone hires him as a driver, we will let him go — obviously with a tear running down our cheek. At the end of the day, I’m giving him advice as a friend. Valtteri will make his decision with his managers, and I’ll try to stay behind the scenes, more like a background figure,” Wolff added.
The evolving situation highlights Valtteri Bottas’s strong desire to continue competing at the highest level and suggests that Alpine could be a serious contender for his services as the 2026 Formula 1 season approaches.
Leave a Reply