Valtteri Bottas, the Finnish racing veteran with ten Grand Prix wins, has sent ripples through the Formula 1 community with recent comments about his potential return to the grid in 2026. After losing his Sauber seat at the end of the 2024 season, Bottas has taken up a reserve driver role with Mercedes for 2025, but his sights are firmly set on a full-time racing comeback. In a candid interview on the Beyond The Grid podcast, Bottas addressed speculation about his future, dismissing a move to Red Bull while expressing enthusiasm for Cadillac’s upcoming F1 entry, where he could potentially team up with Sergio Perez. This revelation has sparked excitement and debate among fans, as the 2026 season promises a new team and a major regulation overhaul.
Bottas, now 35, has made it clear he’s not ready to step away from Formula 1. His 12 years of experience, including five consecutive Constructors’ Championships with Mercedes from 2017 to 2021, make him a valuable asset for any team. However, his chances with Red Bull appear slim. Despite earlier discussions with the team, Bottas revealed that “certain persons” within Red Bull, widely speculated to be senior advisor Helmut Marko, are not fans of his, effectively closing the door on a potential move to partner Max Verstappen. Red Bull’s preference for younger drivers from their academy, such as Isack Hadjar, and their recent struggles with drivers like Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda in the second seat, further dim Bottas’s prospects with the team. Instead, Bottas has turned his attention to Cadillac, the American manufacturer set to join F1 as the 11th team in 2026.
Cadillac’s entry, backed by General Motors and led by former Marussia chief Graeme Lowdon, represents a fresh opportunity for Bottas. The team is expected to blend experience with youth, potentially pairing an established driver like Bottas or Perez with a rookie, such as IndyCar’s Colton Herta or F2’s Jak Crawford. Bottas sees the project as “very interesting,” highlighting the appeal of joining a new team from scratch. “If I would be there as a driver, it would be actually very interesting because you can start from zero and make a big influence on certain things,” he said on the podcast. The 2026 regulation changes, which will introduce new cars and power units, add to the allure, as Bottas believes a new team could capitalize on the reset to achieve early success. His familiarity with Lowdon, who managed his former Sauber teammate Zhou Guanyu, could also bolster his chances.
Beyond Cadillac, Bottas has explored other options, including Alpine, which will use Mercedes power units in 2026. Discussions with Alpine have occurred, but their driver situation remains fluid, with Pierre Gasly’s contract nearing its end and recent changes involving Jack Doohan and Franco Colapinto. Bottas’s experience could be a stabilizing force for Alpine, though he acknowledges the role of politics and financial backing in securing a seat. Unlike some drivers, he can’t offer “tens of millions” but has personal sponsors who could join him. If F1 doesn’t pan out, Bottas hasn’t ruled out IndyCar, where drivers like Romain Grosjean have thrived, but his priority remains Formula 1.
Bottas’s current role at Mercedes keeps him in the F1 paddock, mentoring rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli and earning praise from team principal Toto Wolff. Yet, watching races from the sidelines has only fueled his desire to return. “I’m not done with F1 yet,” he emphasized, reflecting on strong performances in his final Sauber season. As Cadillac prepares to shake up the grid, Bottas’s experience and determination make him a compelling candidate, potentially alongside Perez, in what could be one of F1’s most intriguing driver pairings for 2026.
