Valtteri Bottas shared a seemingly cryptic Instagram post on Tuesday, around half an hour before Cadillac announced him and Sergio Perez as its driver line-up for 2026. He sent F1 fans into a frenzy, and soon, the team's official apparel partner and lifestyle sponsor, Tommy Hilfiger, reacted to it, confirming the imminent announcement.A day after ESPN revealed that Cadillac will make an official announcement about its driver line-up later this week, Bottas shared an intriguing photo of himself on Instagram. In it, the Finn is surfing in the ocean, all suited up but barefoot, and carrying a big American flag in his left hand and an energy drink in his right. He also marked the location on the IG post as the United States of America. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe official IG account of Tommy Hilfiger commented under the post, writing:"This is going to be fun."A snapshot of Tommy Hilfiger's comment under Valtteri Bottas' Instagram post (@valtteribottas)It was the brand and the team's way of announcing the partnership before officially announcing it. The following post by Cadillac had a high production value, with Keanu Reeves voicing over the video and making a cameo at the end when Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas remove their helmets to reveal themselves.When the team initially got the green light from F1's governing body, the FIA, about a 2026 entry, director Mario Andretti announced that they would prioritize signing a young American driver alongside an experienced F1 driver. However, as time went on, and their top prospect, Andretti Global's IndyCar driver Colton Herta's super license woes continued, priorities changed.Former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez rose to become a top prospect, and so did Valtteri Bottas. Both drivers had lost their seats after the 2024 season. In 2025, Bottas will continue to serve as a Mercedes F1 driver.Valtteri Bottas hopes to have a "big influence" on Cadillac F1's road to successSergio Perez with Valtteri Bottas at the F1 Japanese Grand Prix - Previews - Source: GettyValtteri Bottas hopes to be a crucial part of Cadillac's grind to F1 championships. Though the Graeme Lowdon-led team has experienced F1 personnel and leaders, it will have to build everything from scratch upon its entry to the pinnacle of motorsport, and that too in a new era of regulations, which will be implemented in 2026.Earlier this year, Bottas spoke about Cadillac's situation and how he could be a great asset to the team."[It’s] something new to F1, an American team with maybe a different view to the sport," he told F1’s Beyond The Grid podcast. "If I would be there as a driver, it would be actually very interesting because you can start from scratch. The team starts from zero. You could actually make a big influence on certain things, which direction to go, and that would be very motivating and rewarding when the success comes."The Mercedes reserve driver saw the 2026 regulations reset as a positive for Cadillac, highlighting how it levels the playing field to an extent."I think the rule change is always a good point to jump in because you just never know, if you suddenly get it right, you might actually be doing really well from the get-go," he added.Both Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez have multi-year deals with Cadillac, shutting the door to any driver lineup-related volatility.