Valtteri Bottas is closing in on a comeback to F1, with the Finn understood to have reached an agreement with Cadillac for F1 2026.<\/p>\n
The current Mercedes reserve driver has long been linked with a return to F1 with the arrival of Cadillac next year, and Bottas is understood to be on the verge of signing a deal with Graeme Lowdon\u2019s squad.<\/p>\n
Valtteri Bottas set to join Sergio Perez at Cadillac<\/p>\n
Additional reporting by Mat Coch.<\/p>\n
Ever since Cadillac was confirmed to join the grid in F1 2026, Bottas has been linked with a race drive comeback after becoming a free agent following the end of his contract with Sauber last year.<\/p>\n
Finding refuge at Mercedes as a reserve driver with the team he raced for between 2017 and \u201921, Bottas is understood to have engaged in talks with Cadillac<\/a> boss Graeme Lowdon throughout this season.<\/p>\n Multiple sources have indicated to PlanetF1.com that these talks have reached a common ground and that, while Bottas is yet to sign a contract, the Finn is in the final stages of reaching an agreement with Cadillac before putting pen to paper on a deal.<\/p>\n If confirmed, Bottas appears set to join fellow F1 veteran Sergio Perez to form the American squad\u2019s first driver line-up.<\/p>\n As first revealed by PlanetF1.com last week, multiple sources have confirmed that the Mexican driver has also reached an agreement with Cadillac, although, like Bottas, he is yet to formally sign a contract.<\/p>\n The circumstances of both drivers having reached agreements but without formal signing suggest that the situation still needs formalisation, and could be down to the timing of the summer break, perhaps due to the availability of legal witnesses or relevant agents to sign off on the deals.<\/p>\n An announcement to confirm Perez at Cadillac is expected in the week of the Italian Grand Prix.\u00a0The timing of a Bottas confirmation is less certain, although it\u2019s expected to follow the Perez\u00a0announcement.<\/p>\n In June, Bottas \u2013 now well-known for having a sense of fun on his social media \u2013 poked fun at the rumours linking him to Cadillac when he posted a video in which he spots a Cadillac SUV.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat a nice seat,\u201d he wryly smiled as he placed his hand on the driver\u2019s seat, then added, \u201cI see there are two seats \u2013 both seem free.\u201d<\/p>\n A voice off-camera invited him to try sitting down, but Bottas replied, \u201cNot yet!\u201d<\/p>\n Mercedes\u2019 Bradley Lord recently told select media, including PlanetF1.com, that the Finn is a \u201cfront-running candidate\u201d for a vacant seat on the grid, but the Brackley-based squad is open to continuing working with him should he be unsuccessful in securing a return to racing.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know Valtteri\u2019s priority is to try and find a race seat for 2026,\u201d Lord, Mercedes\u2019 communications chief and team representative, said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s eminently qualified to do that, and I\u2019d say a front-running candidate in that regard as well.<\/p>\n \u201cIf that doesn\u2019t happen, for whatever reason, then we would be very open to looking at how we can continue together.<\/p>\n \u201cBut we know his priority is to do that, and we hope that in hindsight, we will have been able to be a platform for him to achieve that goal as well.\u201d<\/p>\n More on Cadillac F1:<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49\u00a0Cadillac F1: Everything you need to know about the new 11th team<\/a><\/p>\n