Valtteri Bottas reemphasizes his IndyCar "Plan B" before Cadillac F1 talks at British GP

Valtteri Bottas has yet again spoken about keeping IndyCar as his "plan B" option for 2026 if he is unable to secure a full-time F1 seat. The Finn has reportedly ascended to the top of Cadillac's prospect list for when it enters the series next year.

As per Autosport, Cadillac will hold talks with the management teams of its driver prospects at the British GP weekend from July 4 to 6. Bottas is understood to be the leading contender, having surpassed Sergio Perez, who is without a seat since departing Red Bull in 2024

In a recent interview with Italian publication Formula1.it, the Mercedes reserve driver spoke about his back-up plan for 2026. He also addressed the possibility of joining Mercedes' WEC team, which returned to the endurance championship with Iron Lynx in 2025.

Valtteri Bottas at the F1 Grand Prix of Canada - Qualifying - Source: Getty

"I hope to still be in Formula One (in 2026), which remains my goal and that's why I'm here today, working for next year from all points of view. It's true, Mercedes is entering the WEC, but I don't think about it," Valtteri Bottas said.

The Finn explained how he'd prefer remaining within the realm of open-wheel racing with IndyCar.

"If I'm not in F1, I would like to have a plan B, and a good option could be IndyCar. However, I am open to evaluating all options. But I repeat, for now I remain focused on the present in Mercedes and on the search for a seat in F1," the 35-year-old added.

Valtteri Bottas has echoed this stance on a couple of instances this year while discussing his future in F1. Earlier this week, he sent the rumour mill into overdrive with a cryptic Instagram reel. He posted a video of himself walking up to a Cadillac SUV and looking inside.

"What a nice seat," he said, inspecting the driver's seat. "I see there are two seats – both seem free."

When the cameraman asks him to occupy the seat, he says "not yet". This had fans questioning whether the Mercedes reserve driver was soft-launching his 2026 announcement.

Bottas had to depart Sauber after the 2024 season, with the soon-to-be Audi team replacing him and then-teammate Zhou Guanyu with Nico Hulkenberg and F2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto.

Why Valtteri Bottas rejected offers from IndyCar teams for 2025

In November 2024, Valtteri Bottas knew he had no future with Sauber, with the team having already announced its 2025 driver line-up. Ahead of the Qatar GP last year, the Finn addressed his prospects for 2025 and also revealed how IndyCar teams had approached him.

However, jumping to IndyCar after 12 consecutive years in F1 didn't seem like an ideal situation to him. Speaking about rejecting those offers, Bottas told GPBlog:

"It's a conscious decision. I think it just comes too quick. Let's say, for example, jumping into a full IndyCar season after 12 years of F1. I just feel like it comes a bit too quick because it's a lot of hard work. There's a lot of familiarization to be done and all these things. I'd rather take just a bit of time, figure out what's next, and go from there. I've had talks and approaches at this point [from IndyCar teams]. I've made it pretty clear that next year comes a bit too soon."

Eventually, Valtteri Bottas reunited with Mercedes, albeit in a reserve driver role. He continues to indulge in entertaining fans on social media with offbeat content.