Former F1 star gives outrageous hint over return decision with Cadillac

Photo: © IMAGO

Cadillac F1

Former F1 star gives outrageous hint over return decision with Cadillac

The first driver lineup is yet to be announced for Cadillac F1 team

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Monday 23 June 2025 13:43

A former F1 star has taken to social media to tease his future in the sport as conversations ramp up over who will make up Cadillac's first driver lineup.

The American outfit will become the 11th team on the F1 grid from 2026, but no official announcement has been made yet on who they have chosen to fill either of their seats.

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Fans of the sport could be looking at a potential return for two former stars if the American seat is not mandatory, with ex-F1 drivers such as Daniel Ricciardo, Zhou Guanyu, Mick Schumacher, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas all mentioned in talks over who they should sign.

As rumours continue to swirl over Cadillac's first driver lineup, Bottas took to 'X' to stir the pot even further over his potential involvement in the new team.

The 35-year-old has become known for his infamous social media presence over the past couple of years, frequently using his quirky internet personality to entertain fans on Mercedes' social media platforms in his role as test and reserve driver (and perhaps the team's influencer, too).

This time, though, Bottas acted without Mercedes in a video where he could be seen approaching a Cadillac vehicle and assessing the 'seats' inside the car in a nod to the two seats up for grabs with the brand's F1 team.

"That's a Cadillac, that's a nice seat," a voice behind the camera pointed out, before Bottas entered the car to assess the interior.

The Finnish racer then noted: "Oh wow, that's actually a nice seat, I wouldn't mind."

The cheeky voice behind the scenes then pointed out the fact that there were two seats in the Cadillac, with Bottas responding: "and they are both free? Huh."

When asked if he wanted to sit in the seat, the Mercedes star boldly stated: "Not yet."

Valtteri Bottas (left) left F1 at the end of the 2024 season

Will Bottas drive for Cadillac F1?

The battle to sign with Cadillac is on, and many of the stars who appear interested in the project are no stranger to the paddock, with the outfit eager to sign experienced drivers who can help develop the team.

Initially, it was believed Cadillac F1 team were after one experienced driver, a great opportunity for someone who has already raced in the sport, and one young American star.

As preparations for their entry rapidly increased, the General Motors-backed outfit announced Graeme Lowdon as their first team principal, with the Brit confirming that an American driver would only be signed based on merit, not their nationality.

In that case Bottas is a strong contender for the seat which he comically declined in his latest social media stunt and if Cadillac are open to signing two experienced drivers to help kick-start their entry into the sport, who better than Bottas and Perez, who have both proven themselves as the ultimate team player in their former No.2 driver roles.

Bottas was a superb second driver alongside champion Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes between 2017 and 2021 and as much as he appears to be loving life back at the team he considers home, surely a talented racer like Bottas wouldn't truly turn down a chance to get back into the competitive side of F1 if the offer was officially made.

Do we like this seat? pic.twitter.com/DhUuCdpGcB
— Valtteri Bottas (@ValtteriBottas) June 23, 2025

Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

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