Table of Contents
- Valtteri Bottas Cadillac signing for the F1 2026 season has whipped up racing interests among motorsport fans
- Multiple reports suggest that the Finnish driver has reached an agreement with Cadillac ahead of the manufacturer’s debut
- Bottas, a former Mercedes driver is currently serving as a reserve driver at Brackley
Valtteri Bottas Cadillac signing for the F1 2026 season has whipped up racing interests among motorsport fans.
Multiple reports suggest that the Finnish driver has reached an agreement with Cadillac ahead of the manufacturer’s debut on the F1 grid in 2026.
Bottas, a former Mercedes driver, is currently serving as a reserve driver at Brackley. Insider details state that he is one step away from finalising his deal with Graeme Lowdon’s new American squad.
The 2026 season will be Cadillac’s debut in the Formula One world. The American manufacturer made a formal application to join F1 in February 2023 but faced resistance.
However, the FIA led by Mohammed ben Sulayem approved Cadillac’s entry in March 2025.
Is Valtteri Bottas Cadillac Signing True?
Following his exit from Sauber at the end of the 2024 season, the reality of Valtteri Bottas Cadillac sunk in. His exit from Sauber meant he no longer had a permanent spot on the F1 grid.
Former Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas. He will race for Cadillac in the 2026 season. Photo/TNTSports
Bottas chose to hang around the grid while working with Mercedes as a reserve driver. He was casting his net wider for a new team, and Cadillac happened.
Reports indicate that the Finnish F1 driver was reportedly in regular talks with Cadillac boss Lowdon since the start of the 2025 season.
Bottas will partner with former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez, who is set to join the American team next season. The two drivers are yet to sign contracts with Cadillac. While the paperwork is still pending, the timing of announcements is strategic.
Perez’s confirmation is expected at the Italian Grand Prix weekend, and Bottas’ will follow thereafter.
Why Hasn’t Bottas and Perez Signed Contracts With Cadillac?
Former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez is in Mexico spending time with his family. He is considering returning to F1 in 2026. Photo/GPFans
The delay in Valtteri Bottas Cadillac contract signing – same as that of Bottas – is due to the summer break.
Most administrative and logistical approvals are on hold. Nevertheless, both Bottas and Perez will be unveiled as Cadillac’s lead drivers in the coming weeks.
Lowdon believes their experience and energy is right for the team that’s making its debut in the F1 grid.
Earlier this year, Bottas playfully hinted at joining Cadillac in a social media video. He checked out a Cadillac SUV and joked that there were two seats that ‘looked available.’
Cadillac’s communications chief Bradley Lord, said that Bottas remains a “front-running candidate” for a race seat on the 2026 grid.
He added that Mercedes would happily continue working with him in another capacity if a deal with Cadillac did not materialise.
Is it a Good Move for Cadillac Signing Perez and Bottas?
For Cadillac, having both Bottas and Perez is a powerful move for the team. The two F1 drivers have a combined 532 Grand Prix starts, 3,435 career points, and multiple race victories between them.
Bottas was a key part of Mercedes’ constructors’ championship-winning streak from 2017 to 2021, while Perez played an instrumental role in Red Bull’s dominance in 2022 and 2023.
Despite missing out on full-time seats for 2025, Perez and Bottas have been clear that their absence from the grid wasn’t a retirement move.
Valtteri Bottas Cadillac engagement – same as Perez – speaks of the team’s clamour for success without looking at age.
Bottas is 35, while Perez is also 35 years old. Cadillac had a choice to work with young F1 drivers Alex Dunne, Jak Crawford, and Felipe Drugovich, who had expressed interest in working with the new F1 outfit.
