Valtteri Bottas Gets Endorsement From Mercedes Boss For Seat At Cadillac
Bottas is one of the leading candidates for a seat with F1's newest team
We should be finding out pretty soon who will be in Cadillac's two cars when the team debuts on the Formula 1 grid in 2026, and one of the current front-runners got a big stamp of approval from his current boss.
There are plenty of names floating around, like ex-F1 driver and Alpine WEC driver Mick Schumacher, as well as US-born F2 title contender Jak Crawford. However, two names routinely jump to the top of the list, and for good reason: Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas.
Both are out of full-time Formula 1 driving at the moment, with Bottas serving as the reserve driver for Mercedes, the team he raced for from 2017 to 2021.
Now, his current boss, Toto Wolff, is giving the Finnish driver his stamp of approval.
"Valtteri has been part of the Mercedes family for a long, long time," Wolff said on the Beyond The Grid podcast, according to Formula 1's website. "He is a driver that, if some of our guys would have fish poisoning, you put him in the car and he’s going to be absolutely on [the] pace. That’s great to know, that your reserve and third driver is as quick as it gets.
"But obviously, with Valtteri, he deserves a race seat. Hopefully that door is going to open. Watch this space."
Valtteri Bottas got the stamp of approval from his current boss, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, to drive for Cadillac next season. (Getty Images)
Bottas has been open about his interest in Cadillac, and that feeling should be mutual.
I really think a Bottas/Perez combo is the only way for Cadillac to go in their debut season. Both guys have won races and have been in cars that have won championships and others that have labored away at the back of the grid. That kind of experience is going to go a long way as the team tries to develop its car and get the hang of new regulations.
Perhaps we'll hear an official announcement at one of the next few race weekends. F1 reconvenes from its summer break with the Dutch Grand Prix on August 31.