Valtteri Bottas gets Toto Wolff backing as Cadillac rumors make rounds

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff had all the support for Valtteri Bottas as the Finnish driver emerged on the radar of the Cadillac F1 team. Regarding the driver, Wolff stated that Bottas deserves a seat in Formula 1.

Bottas and Wolff shared an amicable relationship as the two have worked together at Mercedes from 2017 to 2021, when the former arrived from Williams to race for the Silver Arrows. They shared five seasons before Mercedes replaced the Finnish driver with another Williams driver, George Russell.

Bottas joined Alfa Romeo, which was rebranded to Sauber recently, and raced with them for three seasons till 2024. At the end of last season, Sauber replaced Bottas with Nico Hulkenberg from Haas, following which the Finnish driver returned to Mercedes as a reserve driver behind George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.

As talks over Bottas' return to the sport with Cadillac remain constant, Wolff believes he is a driver who deserves a seat in the most prominent form of Motorsports. Speaking about this, here's what he said:

"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," Wolff further added.

Valtteri Bottas has 247 races under his belt in over 11 years in Formula 1, where he claimed 10 wins, 67 podiums, and 20 pole positions. Bottas' last victory was the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix.

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Valtteri Bottas is on Cadillac F1's radar.

Cadillac F1 is all set to enter Formula 1 in 2026 and become the 11th team in the sport. With this, they will be the second American team in F1 after Haas. As they are already set for the entry, they need two drivers to spearhead their attack, one of whom is reported to be Valtteri Bottas.

Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team walks in the paddock during media day of the Hungarian GP, the 14th round of the Formula 1 World Championship - Source: Getty.

According to multiple reports, Cadillac is eyeing the Finnish driver ahead of their debut next season. Bottas comes with over a decade of experience in teams such as Williams, Mercedes, and Alfa Romeo, something Cadillac can bank on in the next few years.

On the other hand, they are also looking at Sergio Perez, the former Red Bull driver. Perez, who is out of the sport after losing his seat at the end of last year, could be another huge aspect for Cadillac, given his popularity in North and South America.