Cadillac boss responds to Valtteri Bottas’ cryptic social media post amid 2026 contract talk

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Valtteri Bottas is one of the hottest free agents on the Formula 1 driver market as he looks to get back on the grid in 2026. The Finn is being heavily linked with newcomers Cadillac.

The 35-year-old is acting as Mercedes’ reserve driver in 2025 after losing his seat with Sauber at the end of last season. He is keeping himself sharp with work in the simulator and TPC tests, ready for a potential return.

It has even been reported in recent races that the Finn could get back into the cockpit this season. Bottas was linked with replacing Lance Stroll at the Canadian GP with Aston Martin, given their ties to Mercedes, but nothing materialised.

Bottas is now the favourite to replace Franco Colapinto at Alpine, as Flavio Briatore assesses his options for 2026. F1 fans want Bottas to replace Colapinto as he struggles to grab results in the A525, but Cadillac present another attractive option.

The American brand will be F1’s 11th team in 2026 and are ramping up preparations for their arrival, with Cadillac ‘paying a premium’ to attract rival staff. Bottas has been linked with the team since leaving Sauber, and he recently seemed to suggest that a deal could be done.

Graeme Lowdon plays down Valtteri Bottas’ Cadillac post on social media amid 2026 talk

Bottas teased fans on social media as he filmed a video with a luxury Cadillac, saying it was a ‘nice seat’. Many saw that as a way of him announcing that a deal with the team had been made for the 2026 season.

Unsurprisingly, Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon was asked if there was anything behind the video in an interview with Sky Sports. He played down the significance of Bottas’ message, stressing that when the team do announce their driver line-up, ‘it’ll be the right one’.

“I saw that post – well, it shows he’s bought a Cadillac!” said Lowdon.

“But in terms of selecting the drivers, there’s a real mix of skills and we’re very lucky at the minute. We’re out of synchronisation with the other teams at present, we’ve got a little bit of time and we can spend that time making sure that when we do announce the driver line-up, it’ll be the right one.

“We hope that the fans will be excited by it as well, and hopefully excited by the fact that there’s a new team on the grid that they can follow.”

READ MORE: Valtteri Bottas’ life outside F1 from girlfriend to wine and gin

The pros and cons of Cadillac signing Valtteri Bottas

While his social media post may be nothing but a light-hearted joke, Bottas has moved ahead of Sergio Perez in the race to join Cadillac. The Mexican has been tipped to join the team since leaving Red Bull, but the Finn may have got the upper hand.

Cadillac are no longer looking for an American driver, giving him another boost. The 35-year-old will provide a wealth of experience to the newcomers, as well as strong technical feedback and speed on the track.

But where he has the experience over other possible candidates, Bottas lacks financial backing. The likes of Perez and Zhou Guanyu provide huge commercial value in their respective markets, which Cadillac could look to exploit for company profits.

Nelson Piquet Jr thinks Cadillac should sign Perez over Bottas, given the money behind him. Cadillac have a huge decision to make for 2026, and the Finn will be trying everything to get a deal over the line.