BOTTAS CLOSES ON CADILLAC DEAL

Valtteri Bottas and Cadillac allegedly agreed terms during the British Grand Prix weekend, but there was no announcement of the deal because the Finnish driver hasn’t yet signed on the dotted line.

According to sources close to the new American team, the decision to hire Bottas over Sérgio Pérez, who was also in contention for the first Cadillac seat, came down to the Finn’s commitment and personality.

Bottas has remained connected to Formula 1 through his role as test and reserve driver for Mercedes, has already tested a McLaren, and was scheduled to run with this year’s Mercedes, modified to simulate the 2026 technical regulations, before the Belgian Grand Prix.

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He’s also kept himself race fit, as he continues to train hard and accumulate kilometres on road and dirt bikes – his other passion.

On top of that, Bottas is keen to start using Cadillac’s simulator and to work in the Silverstone factory, helping define important parts of the 2026 car, like the steering rack, the cockpit clearances and so on.

Having earned a reputation as a tremendous team player during his 11 seasons racing in Formula 1 – both as a support driver for a championship contender, like Lewis Hamilton, or a mentor for a rookie, like Zhou Guanyu – Bottas will fit perfectly into the team, as the intention to field a rookie in the second car remains in place.

In recent weeks, representatives for Yuki Tsunoda and Jack Doohan – the Australian apparently boasting a big sponsorship package to support his candidature – have been in touch with Team Principal Graeme Lowdon, but both the Englishman and the team owners seem to prefer hiring a rookie that they can grow into the team leader role once Bottas’ time with Cadillac comes to an end.

Mick Schumacher has already been informed he’s not on the team’s shortlist anymore, the same happening to Zhou Guanyu, who is managed by Lowdon’s company as well.

According to American sources, the current poor state of US-China relationships would make it complicated for the Cadillac Board and the American fans to accept a Chinese driver in the team, this shutting the doors to the former Sauber driver.

Felipe Drugovich continues to emerge as the most likely candidate to partner Bottas, as he continued to test for Aston Martin and Pirelli at Silverstone last week.

Although he’ll be a rookie next year, the Brazilian has accumulated more than 10,000kms in testing, without damaging as much as an endplate, and his lap times, every time he’s been in the car for FP1 sessions, have regularly matched and even beaten those of Fernando Alonso and, especially, Lance Stroll.

Drugovich has driven a Cadillac IMSA car on three occasions already – twice at Le Mans and once at Daytona – impressing the Americans with his speed and feedback, all this contributing for him being top of Lowdon’s list for next year’s second seat.

Photo by Sam Bloxham/LAT Images

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