Heading into the F1 2025 season, it was clear that there would be far more drivers vying for race seats than there would be seats available. Valtteri Bottas was one driver who failed to grab a ride, but he\u2019s recently revealed that he \u201chad the contract\u201d at Williams\u2026 until Carlos Sainz came along.<\/p>\n
Sainz was one of the final pieces in the F1 2025 puzzle, leaving the Finnish driver without an active seat, but with the ability to sign with Cadillac F1 heading into the 2026 season.<\/p>\n
Valtteri Bottas \u201chad the contract\u201d until Carlos Sainz came along<\/p>\n
A month before the F1 2024 season got to a start, silly season for 2025 began when Lewis Hamilton dropped the bombshell that he would be leaving Mercedes and joining Scuderia Ferrari, unseating Carlos Sainz Jr<\/a>. From that point on, it was a mad rush to determine where the rest of the field would end up following that major tipping of a domino.<\/p>\n Sainz ultimately became one of the key players during that period of instability, speaking with multiple teams before ultimately committing to Williams for 2025 and beyond.<\/p>\n But he wasn\u2019t the only driver courting the team from Grove. Valtteri Bottas<\/a> \u2014 whose contract with Sauber was coming to an end at the conclusion of 2024 \u2014 was involved in significant conversations with team principal James Vowles.<\/p>\n Speaking with Motorsport Week<\/a> during\u00a0the US Grand Prix weekend, Valtteri Bottas revealed that he had very nearly inked a deal with Williams, only for the seat to ultimately go to Spanish racer Carlos Sainz.<\/p>\n \u201cI like working with him [Vowles] and I was actually, yeah, pretty close to signing with them for this year,\u201d Bottas told Motorsport Week.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, last year we had the contract already, so it was pretty close.\u201d<\/p>\n More Formula 1 news from the Mexico City Grand Prix:<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49\u00a0Audi F1 2026 update given amid rumours engine is down on power<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49\u00a0F1 team principals react as rival accused of \u2018substantial\u2019 cost cap breach<\/a><\/p>\n When asked why he didn\u2019t end up in a seat, Bottas simply stated,\u00a0\u201cCarlos Sainz happened. So, yeah, that\u2019s F1.\u201d<\/p>\n The Finnish driver had clearly identified something special in the Williams team, which sits comfortably in fifth overall in the constructors\u2019 standings this season, and he was highly complimentary of the outfit while speaking to Motorsport Week.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I think they\u2019re definitely getting on the right track,\u201d he said. \u201c[Williams] made progress.<\/p>\n \u201cStill a bit variable weekend to weekend, but if you look at where they were a few years ago, they\u2019ve done a great job.<\/p>\n \u201cI think backing now, they are behind [a] good investment group, and also James has brought so much knowledge from Mercedes, so he\u2019s done really well.\u201d<\/p>\n Without an active race seat available for 2025, Bottas instead made a return to his previous Mercedes F1 outfit, where he\u2019s currently serving as a reserve driver. It also meant that he was available to enter negotiations with incoming American outfit Cadillac, with whom he\u2019s signed a deal for 2026.<\/p>\n There will be many variables heading into 2026, both due to Cadillac\u2019s status as a brand-new team as well as thanks to the sweeping regulatory changes accompanying the changing of the season. F1 machines will be lighter, smaller, and more agile due to transformations in both chassis and aerodynamics, while new power unit regulations will see a greater proportion of power coming from electrification rather than the internal combustion engine.<\/p>\n If Sainz has been an asset for Williams as part of the historic team\u2019s effort to transform its F1 fortunes, then Bottas will likely be an asset for Cadillac as the team makes its first foray into international open-wheel racing.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n