Valtteri Bottas faces early Cadillac axe as team considers Colton Herta promotion. Reports suggest Cadillac may replace Valtteri Bottas with Colton Herta.

As expected from a team competing in its first Formula 1 season, Cadillac has yet to score points in any of the opening five Grands Prix. However, among the American outfit’s two race drivers, one has struggled to make a strong impression: Valtteri Bottas.

While the team’s overall performance has been limited by the challenges of being a newcomer to Formula 1, the former Mercedes driver has reportedly delivered less convincing performances than teammate Sergio Perez. As a result, speculation is already growing about his long-term future with the team.

Bottas’ return proving disappointing

According to reports from Sky Italia and the German newspaper BILD, the possibility of an early separation between Valtteri Bottas and Cadillac cannot be ruled out. Should such a scenario materialise, the American manufacturer could promote Colton Herta to a full-time race seat.

The American driver, who competed in IndyCar until last season, is currently racing in Formula 2 with Hitech, a team that receives support from Cadillac. At the same time, Colton Herta is already involved with the Formula 1 project as a test and reserve driver.

The reports suggest that Cadillac management is closely monitoring the situation as it evaluates its options for the future.

Valtteri Bottas’ best result of the season so far has been 13th place in China, but the Finnish driver has generally struggled to produce stronger performances and has often finished behind Sergio Perez. The contrast between the two returning drivers has become increasingly noticeable over the opening rounds of the championship.

Like Sergio Perez, the 36-year-old returned to Formula 1 this season after spending 2025 away from a full-time race seat. Following a difficult 2024 campaign with Sauber, in which he failed to score a single point, Valtteri Bottas returned to Mercedes in 2025 as the team’s reserve and third driver before securing a comeback opportunity with Cadillac.

Although it remains unclear whether Cadillac will seriously consider making a driver change during its debut Formula 1 campaign, the emergence of Colton Herta as a potential alternative suggests that the team is already thinking carefully about its long-term driver line-up as it continues to establish itself on the Formula 1 grid.