Doubts raised over Bottas to Cadillac move as another F1 team linked

Doubts have been raised over the possibility of F1 veteran Valtteri Bottas signing a deal with Cadillac next season.

The American squad will make their much-anticipated debut in the sport in 2026 as they become the 11th team on the grid.

But despite their participation being confirmed for some time now, they have yet to announce their driver lineup for their maiden campaign.

Bottas - a 10-time race winner with Mercedes - has been consistently linked with one of the vacant spots, and recently posted a cryptic message on social media which sent the rumour mill in to overdrive.

But while a contract is widely believed to have been already agreed, former driver Nelson Piquet Jr says the Finn would be better off elsewhere.

“I think Alpine makes more sense for Bottas because of the Mercedes connection," he told the Pelas Pistas podcast.

"They’ll be racing with Mercedes engines [in 2026] and from there he goes to Ferrari.

“Why wouldn’t you pick someone from the Ferrari family? I don’t know if Bottas would leave the Mercedes family.

"I don’t think it makes much sense both commercially and for Cadillac itself as a driver.”

Who will be on the grid for Cadillac in Melbourne?

Bottas - who has been without a seat on the grid since being axed by Sauber last season - is just one of several big names to be touted as an option for the F1 newcomers.

Former Red Bull star Sergio Perez is thought to in contention, as are the likes of Mick Schumacher and US IndyCar driver Colton Herta.

With less than seven months to go until the 2026 action gets under way at the Australian Grand Prix, team principal Graeme Lowdon has come under fire for the delay in putting his driver pairing together.

However, the Brit remains confident that they will be ready to go long before lights out in Melbourne, insisting that the team are simply doing their due diligence before making a final decision.

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