Formula 1 veteran Valtteri Bottas believes the best years of his career remain ahead, despite the woeful Cadillac project he is involved with, in his 15th season in the top flight.
The 36-year-old has already accumulated 257 Grand Prix starts, 10 victories and 67 podiums. Most of that success came alongside Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, where Bottas regularly fought at the front. His current challenge could hardly be more different.
Cadillac remain the only team without a point after the opening 11 rounds of their debut season. Bottas has suffered five retirements, while 13th place in China remains his best result. However, the Finn believes his year away from racing in 2025 changed his outlook and may have made him a more complete driver.
Bottas returned to Mercedes as reserve driver after losing his Kick Sauber seat at the end of 2024. It was his first season without a full-time drive since 2012. That experience made his Cadillac opportunity feel particularly significant.
Speaking to F1.com, Bottas said: “Definitely when you have – after 12 years of racing – one year kind of on the side, you get a different perspective of the sport because you can actually see the bigger picture of it when you’re not fully in it.”We knew there would be challenges
Bottas continued: “It’s definitely made me appreciate it more. I have more respect for the sport overall, for everyone who works in the sport and for the drivers. That’s why I think this year I appreciate it more than before.”
“Like the example in Melbourne, the national anthem on the starting grid. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed the whole process so much because when that kind of gets taken away from you, and you get it back, it’s something quite unique. I just appreciate more being one of the now 22 drivers on the grid.”
Bottas is unlikely to recreate his Mercedes victory tally with Cadillac in the immediate future. Yet his contribution must be measured differently. Cadillac selected Bottas and Sergio Perez because their combined experience could help establish an entirely new organisation.
Every circuit, procedure and working relationship represents a first for the American operation. Bottas explained: “You can’t compare because it’s so rare in this sport to have this opportunity to be part of something new, like building a team from scratch and being the first drivers for that team. I’ve never had this before. It’s not only the feeling I have, but it’s the same for everyone in the team.”
The best years are still ahead
Cadillac have gradually improved their reliability and pace, although Bottas accepts meaningful results will require patience. The Finn said: “We knew there was going to be challenges. There’s been a few races that we haven’t finished with technical issues. We knew that is possible and that is part of the learning curve.
The main thing is we just need to learn from those and move on. We don’t want to finish the season without points. But how do we get there? We still need to make the car more reliable. We still need to make the car faster, but we’re working on it.”
Whether Bottas’ outright peak came during his Mercedes years remains debatable. His chances of adding victories now depend heavily on Cadillac’s development.
But experience, renewed motivation and a central role in building a new team could still produce the most significant chapter of his career. Bottas concluded: “Every year, you gain so much more experience in the sport that you can give back more. I think the best years are still ahead. That’s my feeling.”