Cadillac F1 now have ‘terms agreed’ with 67-podium driver, but he’s not signed anything yet

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Cadillac are going to be one of a handful of teams entering the 2025 Formula 1 summer break without a confirmed driver for next season.

Mercedes look set to retain George Russell very soon after Max Verstappen confirmed he would spend another season at Red Bull.

Racing Bulls are yet to commit to Isack Hadjar or Liam Lawson, although this is more likely to do with the fact that Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull future is in doubt.

The only other team yet to confirm a driver for next season is Formula 1’s newest manufacturer, Cadillac.

Team principal Graeme Lowdon has two crucial decisions to make before his team’s F1 debut next year.

Plenty of drivers have put themselves forward to race for Cadillac next season as seats so rarely become available in Formula 1.

It looks like Lowdon and Cadillac’s chiefs have decided on one driver they want for 2026, as Mercedes reserve driver Valtteri Bottas has ‘agreed’ terms on a contract.

READ MORE: All to know about General Motors’ Cadillac F1 team from engine to drivers

Valtteri Bottas has ‘terms agreed’ on 2026 Cadillac F1 contract but hasn’t signed anything yet

Journalist Julianne Cerasoli was speaking on the Pit Pass F1 about the situation with the American outfit and said: “I spent most of the day, up and down the paddock, trying to figure out what is going on with Cadillac, with the drivers.

“Their priority is that they need a driver ASAP for the simulator, because they are really far behind now with all the simulator work.

“So, this guy might be Valtteri. The terms are agreed, to my knowledge, nothing has been signed yet, but the terms are agreed.

“And Valtteri will have that memory, because the terms for Audi, for the Sauber contract for this year, were agreed as well, but he never saw the papers for him to sign, the one who saw them was Gabriel Bortoleto.

“But now, it’s the same situation. Terms agreed, and they really need a driver for the simulator, and they need it now.”

Bottas has been linked with replacing Franco Colapinto this season before potentially joining Cadillac at the end of the year.

This would be a far from ideal situation for Cadillac, as it would prevent him from completing the simulator duties Lowdon’s team requires.

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

Who could be Cadillac F1’s second driver for 2026 if Valtteri Bottas confirms his race seat?

Cerasoli was then speaking about the potential teammates Bottas could line up alongside at Cadillac next season.

She explained: “There was a meeting of the board this week, and what I’m still trying to figure out, and even drivers who are on the shortlist are trying to figure out, is what has been decided and if anything has been decided in this meeting about the driver profile that they want.

“If they want two experienced drivers, or if they want one young and one experienced.

“And they can, in reality, if they sort out this thing with the simulator driver, they can wait for the second seat.

“So, in the first scenario, with two experienced drivers, if they’re going with Bottas, if Bottas finally sees the pen and the paper to sign, the other driver would be Perez.

“Perez is negotiating with them; he is interested in the seat, and it would be his.

“The second scenario would be between Felipe Drugovich, Jak Crawford and a surprise, but not really a surprise if you think about it, Frederik Vesti.

“Vesti races for Cadillac in endurance, and so does Felipe. They both have Felipe and Fred, they both have experience with the 2026 tyres, they do sim work for both Aston Martin and Mercedes, and they are known by the GM people.

“Crawford, of course, he’s American, and he will need to get the points for his superlicense depending on his Formula 2 result for this season.”

Yuki Tsunoda’s agent has hinted he could be in the frame for Cadillac with his Red Bull future in doubt.

Martin Brundle wants to see Bottas back on the grid, but as Cerasoli explained, the 67-podium Finn has been in this position before, where a contract has been agreed, but nothing officially gets confirmed.