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Ahead of the 2025 Emilia Romagna GP, Mercedes' reserve driver Valtteri Bottas went cycling in Imola. He rode for 96.11 km for around three hours and 41 minutes, and he shared his conquest with fans through Instagram.
Bottas, after racing three years for Sauber, parted ways last year and reunited with Mercedes for 2025 as a reserve driver. The Finnish driver previously raced with the Silver Arrows from 2017 to 2021.
Meanwhile, ahead of the 2025 Emilia Romagna GP, Bottas landed in Imola but went cycling instead. Through an Instagram story, he revealed that he rode for over three hours in Imola and covered 96 km to achieve a big personal milestone.
Bottas is fascinated with cycling, as he competed in the Cycling Gravel World Championship in Belgium last year. Moreover, his girlfriend, Tiffany Cromwell, is a professional road and gravel cyclist and won the Australian National Gravel Championship in April 2025.
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While Valtteri Bottas' role in the 2025 F1 season is limited to being a reserve driver for Mercedes, he is open to a comeback. Cadillac was announced as the 11th entrant on the grid, beginning with the 2026 season, and Valtteri Bottas is reportedly among the frontrunners gunning for a seat.
The Finnish driver is an 11-year veteran in Formula 1, and his experience could help Cadillac find its footing if they indeed end up signing him up. Another big name linked to the new team is ex-Red Bull driver Sergio Perez.
Perez was sacked by Red Bull in 2024 after an underwhelming season where he lagged 285 points behind his champion teammate, Max Verstappen. However, Cadillac could use Perez's experience as well.
Besides Bottas and Perez, IndyCar driver Colton Herta, Ferrari reserve driver Zhou Guanyu, and ex-Haas driver Mick Schumacher are likely some names on Cadillac's radar.
Valtteri Bottas aims to race again in Formula 1
Amid rumored links to Cadillac, Mercedes reserve driver Valtteri Bottas has asserted his desire to race again in Formula 1. He admitted that he needs to be aware of opportunities floating around.
Talking to Top Gear, Bottas said:
“My aim is to be racing again. So that means I’ve got to be aware of what is happening [in the driver market]. Of course I’m [in Miami] focusing on my job, but at the same time… gotta keep my ears and eyes open. Cadillac is a new team joining the sport, which is exciting. What would be motivating for me is to get into a project, you know"?
"Commit to X amount of years with clear targets. That’s what I need at this point. But at the same time, if a place opens up in a car that you can fight for good points or even podiums or wins, then of course I would be happy to. But it’s quite tricky at the moment to see how things are unfolding," he added.
Bottas also said that Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff would give him his blessing if he indeed gets an opportunity for 2026.
