What ‘everyone’ at Sauber privately thought about 2026 Cadillac signing Valtteri Bottas after F1 exit

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Valtteri Bottas has signed for newcomers Cadillac for the 2026 Formula 1 season and beyond. He dropped off the grid in 2024 after his exit from Sauber.

The Finn has been looking to return to the grid for some time. Bottas has served as Mercedes’ reserve driver in 2025 while he held talks with teams for a possible 2026 seat.

Finally, a deal has been reached as he will race with Cadillac next year, who will make their debut in F1 as the sport’s 11th team. Sergio Perez will join Bottas at the American outfit after he left Red Bull at the end of 2024.

Bottas brings a wealth of experience to Cadillac with over 200 Grand Prix starts. After an impressive stint with Williams, he joined Mercedes in 2017 and acted as Lewis Hamilton’s number two, winning 10 races with the team.

Leaving the Silver Arrows in 2022, the 35-year-old had a disappointing three-year spell at Sauber, formerly Alfa Romeo. This stint in F1 has left many people with question marks over his ability for Cadillac next season.

‘Everyone’ in Sauber ‘couldn’t stand’ Valtteri Bottas anymore when he left in 2024

The Finn drove underwhelming machinery for three seasons with the Hinwil outfit, with 2024 being particularly miserable. Bottas failed to score points last year, while teammate Zhou Guanyu grabbed four points in Qatar.

Andrea Seidl says Bottas did not give enough at Sauber, with his internal image being damaged by his performances. Journalist Julianne Cerasoli says that ‘everyone’ within the team could no longer stand having the Finn in the team.

She told UOL Esporte: “Perez, his name came back into the market with a vengeance when it became clear that he wasn’t Red Bull’s problem, that Red Bull’s problem was much deeper than him and that he was right in all his complaints with Red Bull.

“His complaints were not heard. The problem was Red Bull’s, not his. But Bottas, everyone I speak to at Sauber says they couldn’t stand Bottas anymore because he was just coasting through the entire championship.

“This is the signing that I really can’t understand. Listening to everything I’ve heard about Bottas in recent years at Sauber, and remembering that the head of this team, Graeme Lowdon, he is Guanyu Zhou’s manager.

“So, he was inside Sauber, right? Zhou was Bottas’ teammate there, so he knows everything.”

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

Valtteri Bottas beat several other candidates to land Cadillac seat for 2026

Ralf Schumacher has doubts over Bottas’ race pace and whether he will be competitive at Cadillac after a year away from racing. But his experience will be invaluable to the team, and they have just what they need to build forward with Perez alongside him.

Cadillac had been speaking to numerous drivers throughout 2025, holding private meetings with potential suitors. The likes of Zhou, Frederik Vesti and Felipe Drugovich were fighting to get a seat, but proved unsuccessful.

Mick Schumacher could become Cadillac’s reserve driver as he is being linked with their WEC programme for 2026. The German hoped to land a full-time seat in F1 next year, but the American outfit have settled on Bottas and Perez.

Perez says he will ‘work well’ with Bottas as they have a strong desire to get back on the grid and help Cadillac develop their car. Top results will be unlikely, but they certainly have the drivers to be competitive.