Cadillac F1 hopeful suffers blow as target time missed

Cadillac F1 seat hopeful Valtteri Bottas suffered a blow at the weekend after he failed to set his target time during a competition.

The Finn has been training hard in his season off from F1, as he looks for a comeback to full-time racing instead of serving as a Mercedes reserve driver once again in 2026.

As ever, Bottas remains a keen cyclist and competes in competitive events from time-to-time, adding the Gravel, Grit ‘n Grind event in Halmstad, Sweden to his two-wheeled CV last weekend.

While Bottas’ partner and professional cyclist Tiffany Cromwell finished P5 in her class, Bottas had a less fortunate outing where he was blighted by technical issues that prevented him hitting his target time.

"About yesterday. Some mechanical issues along the way, so didn’t quite hit my target result. But we still had a blast!" he wrote on social media.

Nonetheless, the 35-year-old adopted a positive attitude on social media, reflecting on the event fondly and posting a selfie where he was caked in dirt after the race.

Will Bottas sign for Cadillac?

Bottas could return to a full-time race seat in 2026 with new team Cadillac, who will make their official entry as the 11th team on the F1 grid next season.

Reportedly, the 35-year-old has already agreed to the terms of his deal with the American outfit, but he has not signed a contract and Cadillac are yet to make an announcement on their driver line-up.

Sergio Perez has also been linked with a return to the team, with an experienced line-up perhaps preferable for the new team to get to grips with F1.

Both of their deals are far from being sealed however, with there still being noise about several young drivers making their way onto the F1 grid via Cadillac.

McLaren superstar Alex Dunne has been linked to an F1 debut with the team, while Felipe Drugovich will be hoping to get his first start in the sport after waiting in the wings at the Aston Martin factory.

About yesterday 🇸🇪

Some mechanical issues along the way, so didn’t quite hit my target result. But we still had a blast!@tiffanycromwell pic.twitter.com/eLKL2YrcgU

— Valtteri Bottas (@ValtteriBottas) August 17, 2025

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