Valtteri Bottas hits latest Cadillac milestone after Mercedes exit
Valtteri Bottas will return to the F1 grid with Cadillac in 2026.
Valtteri Bottas bid an emotional farewell to Mercedes at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but he was straight to work at Cadillac with a seat fit.
The Finn joined his new employers straight after the final race weekend of the season finished, and work is continuing at pace to bring Cadillac’s first Formula 1 challenger to the grid next season.
Valtteri Bottas completes Cadillac seat fit ahead of F1 2026 return
Cadillac announced recently that its car launch would take the form of a prime advertising slot in the Super Bowl, American football’s showpiece match and one of the most-watched sporting events in the world.
The team has signed what will be one of the most experienced combined line-ups on the grid in 2026 in Bottas and Sergio Perez, with the Mexican having recently taken in behind-closed-doors testing with Cadillac and Ferrari.
In footage shared by Cadillac, Bottas had his seat fit with the team as he reported to their Silverstone base to get introduced to his new colleagues.
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“I’m excited to be starting as a Cadillac Formula 1 Team driver – finally,” Bottas said.
“This is a proud moment in my career as it marks the beginning of a new chapter back on the grid with a team that’s starting its journey in the sport.
“There’s a lot of hard work that lies ahead, so I’m keen to use my experience to help the team now that I’m fully on board.
“Seeing everything coming together for the first time as a brand-new team is special and makes you realise the momentum of the project. I
“t’s important to get the preparation right as these moments really are the first steps to getting us ready for the first test. I can’t wait to get the season started and go racing once again.”
Team principal Graeme Lowdon added: “It’s great to finally have Valtteri onboard and integrated with the team. We’ve been planning for quite some time now, so it’s fantastic to see these moments happening ahead of our first season on track.
“I’m proud of all the work everybody is doing in the team.
“Formula 1 is the greatest team game in the world and it’s times like this where you see the skills, talent and expertise we have, and how well such a talent like Valtteri will be at home.”
Cadillac will be out on track for the first time in the first pre-season test of 2026, taking place behind closed doors at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya between 26-30 January.
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