Everything Valtteri Bottas has been doing since his last Formula 1 race after signing for Cadillac

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It has been a short hiatus for Valtteri Bottas away from Formula 1 now that he has been confirmed as one of the lead drivers for the Cadillac entry.

It has been one of the worst-kept secrets of the grid in the last few months, after Bottas teased the announcement himself on social media.

Rumours in the paddock that Cadillac would side with Bottas increased, especially as it looked like there would be no American driver despite efforts to sign IndyCar star Colton Herta, who doesn’t have the Super Licence points.

What Cadillac have with Bottas and Sergio Perez is a safe pair of hands, given their combined experience of 27 seasons and their status as proven race winners.

Bottas himself has proved to be a valuable asset for his old team, Mercedes, in 2025, having taken on the role of third driver.

Valtteri Bottas provided vital information with third driver role at Mercedes

Mercedes announced Bottas as their third driver last year when it became clear that he would not be driving for Sauber in 2025.

The Mercedes driver provided key information on race weekends, acting as an extra pair of drivers’ eyes by offering his input on setup changes. Mercedes also ran him in older cars to help with his feedback, while he has been a key pillar in the support team for Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Team principal Toto Wolff explained what he brought to the team when he rejoined: “Valtteri’s impact and contribution in the five years he was with us previously as our race driver were immense. His technical feedback and input were important in helping us to that success and pushing the team forward.”

Alongside his third driver duties, he was also a personality in the F1 paddock and helped Mercedes with their social media content, which helps draw in new fans.

In addition to helping Mercedes, Bottas has also tested with customer team McLaren this year, having driven an older car at the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya.

Bottas’ role as a third driver would likely see him substitute either George Russell or Antonelli in the instance one of them is unable to carry out their duties over a race weekend.

Valtteri Bottas brings a wealth of information about 2026 to Cadillac

Bottas also brings with him a wealth of information about Mercedes’ 2026 challenger, after the team made the decision not to leave him out of their preparations.

“Mercedes are not hiding anything from me about next year. If I ask questions, they answer them. There is no hiding,” said Bottas in the Beyond the Grid podcast.

“Toto has known me a long time. He knows that I want to race, and I think he really respects that. I think Toto would like to see me as well on the grid, so there are no secrets.”

With his wealth of knowledge and fitness levels up to what is required of F1 drivers, Bottas and Perez provide a perfect mix of experience for a team contesting its first season from scratch.