Valtteri Bottas in Mercedes dreaming of Cadillac for 2026 F1 seat: “A very interesting option”. Valtteri Bottas reflects on his return to Mercedes after not securing a seat for the next F1 season.

Valtteri Bottas finds himself without a seat for the 2025 F1 season but has no intention of retiring: the Finn is already looking ahead to 2026 and the Cadillac seat. This season has been very difficult for Valtteri Bottas, driving the Sauber C44, which made 2024 his worst year in F1. Since his debut in 2013, he had never finished a season with 0 points. Nevertheless, the two-time world runner-up did his best to get the most out of a car that, before Mattia Binotto‘s arrival, had been completely frozen.

The 35-year-old has not retired from F1 and will not be leaving the circus: Mercedes has selected him as their third driver for the 2025 season. For Valtteri Bottas, this marks a return to the team he drove for from 2017 to 2021, allowing him to remain in the F1 environment despite not being on the grid as a regular driver.

Valtteri Bottas, interviewed by racingnews365.com, said: “Sometimes you have to take a step back to take two steps forward: now it’s up to me to figure out the best way to return to the F1 grid. Yes, I have a reserve role, but at the same time [Mercedes] is a great brand and a great car manufacturer: I was there for five years, and they could offer me opportunities.”

The Cadillac Option in 2026
Valtteri Bottas’s presence in the team, even as a reserve driver, brings experience to the young Mercedes lineup of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli and will be an important mentor, especially for the rookie from Bologna. After this transitional year, the Finn’s intention is clear: to return to F1 in 2026.

Cadillac fits perfectly for Valtteri Bottas, as the American team, which will debut in F1 in 2026, will want not only an American or possibly American driver but also an experienced one. Therefore, the new team could be a valid option: “Certainly, there will be two more seats. They need drivers, they need experience, so yes, it’s a very interesting option.”

Who could hinder Valtteri Bottas at Cadillac? His former teammate Guanyu Zhou. The future Cadillac Team Principal, Graeme Lowdon, is Zhou’s agent. Bottas does not believe this will be a problem: “I have a good relationship with Graeme, so I don’t think it will be more difficult for me than for others. In fact, he’s seen what I can do and what I can bring to the team. I see Cadillac as a possibility.”