Valtteri Bottas may no longer have a seat on the Formula 1 grid but he’ll still be a constant presence in the paddock.
Sauber decided at the end of last season to sign Formula 2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto to partner Nico Hulkenberg for the upcoming campaign.
It meant that Valtteri Bottas and teammate Zhou Guanyu both had to take up positions as reserve drivers for 2025.
Zhou is working alongside Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, while Bottas has returned to Mercedes this season.
His previous stint with the team will help him get up to speed quickly and he can provide support to George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Audi boss Mattia Binotto has explained why he chose Bortoleto over Bottas and it leaves the Finn searching for a way back onto the grid.
Bottas was concerned for Haas after watching them during testing but may not be fussy with which team he wants to sign for in 2026 if he wants to make sure his racing hiatus only lasts for a year.
Journalist Lawrence Barretto was writing on the Formula 1 official website about the options available to F1’s newest team Cadillac.
He’s suggested that the 10-time race winner is already trying to make his move to race for the 11th team on the grid.
Valtteri Bottas ‘already talking’ to Cadillac team boss ahead of 2026 F1 entry
Reflecting on the Finn’s chances of making an F1 return next season, Barretto said: “Valtteri Bottas may be warming the bench this year at Mercedes, but he’s got no interest in staying there for long and is instead laser-focused on finding a pathway back to a race seat.
“The Finn would offer Cadillac a wealth of experience gained from 247 Grands Prix that could be critical to them hitting the ground running.
“He’s a 10-time race winner, has stood on the podium 67 times and started on pole 20 times. The Finn’s feedback is very impressive, he is willing to put in the hours to help the team grow quickly and he’s arguably in the shape of his life from a physical perspective.
READ MORE: Valtteri Bottas’ life outside F1 from girlfriend to wine and gin
“Bottas is clearly hungry to get stuck into a new project, otherwise he would never have pursued the Mercedes reserve role – which will see him attend all 24 races – and the fact that Williams, Sauber and Alpine all considered a move for him suggests his stock is still strong.
“He’s not hanging about either as he’s already been talking to Lowdon about a potential move, having got to know him better across three years at Sauber when Lowdon was managing the Finn’s teammate Zhou Guanyu.”
Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon explains F1 2026 driver choices
Graeme Lowdon – Cadillac’s new team principal – was speaking ahead of the Australian Grand Prix about the decision he needs to make ahead of next season when it comes to his drivers.
He explained: “We definitely select on merit. Formula 1, it’s not a playground, this is the pinnacle of world motorsport.
“I think in terms of timing, it’s kind of a little bit odd because we’re out of sync with the other teams, we weren’t in the driver market during the fairly critical last round, so certain drivers are tied up for certain periods.
“Luckily for us, there are a lot of good drivers out there, unfortunately, we’ve not been able to be in the driver market until the entry was confirmed.”
READ MORE: All to know about General Motors’ Cadillac F1 team from engine to drivers
Lowdon admitted that he’s considering a range of candidates and it would make sense for Bottas to be in that group.
He’s won more Grand Prix than any other available driver and will be able to bring vital information from one of Cadillac’s rivals in Mercedes, as well as his opinion on how not to do things based on Sauber’s disappointing final campaign.
Bottas also provides excellent technical feedback and any new team would love to have that experience going forward.
