F1 star Valtteri Bottas facing the axe at Cadillac just five races into 2026 season

Sergio Perez, Checo Perez, Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

F1 star facing the axe just five races into 2026 season

Bottas is in danger already in 2026

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Wednesday 27 May 2026 09:57 Updated: 11:07

Cadillac F1 star Valtteri Bottas is reportedly at risk of losing his seat with the team after just five rounds of the 2026 season.

The new F1 team always knew that their maiden season would be a challenge, with both Bottas and team-mate Sergio Perez failing to score a single point thus far.

Realistically, Bottas and Perez only have each other as a measure of their performance, and their team-mate head-to-head (for grand prix qualifying) sits at a pretty even three-two in the Mexican's favour after the Canadian Grand Prix

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But a silly detail like facts will do nothing to stop the F1 rumour mill, and Sky Sports Italia have fuelled speculation that Bottas' seat could be at risk already.

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Bottas at risk with Herta tipped as replacement

During the Canadian GP weekend, commentators on the Italian broadcast alleged that Bottas' position was at 'serious risk' of being cut ahead of the 2027 season.

They added that Perez isn't looking to retire yet, while their test driver and F2 star Colton Herta's 'stock is rising', suggesting Bottas could be replaced by the American.

Will Cadillac replace Bottas with Herta?

Cadillac themselves have offered no indication yet that they are seeking to replace Bottas, particularly with Herta, who is still only his first season of the feeder series Formula 2.

Last time out in Montreal, Herta finished ninth in the sprint race and seventh in the feature race, and currently occupies 12th place in the overall drivers' standings.

Ahead of the 2026 season, Cadillac made it abundantly clear they valued the experience of Bottas and Perez when choosing their first driver lineup.

Speaking on the impact of both drivers in the winter, team principal Graeme Lowdon said: "We are already reaping the benefits. You can see how both drivers help the mechanics with targeted feedback."

F1 rumour mill targets Haas and Ocon too

Bottas hasn't been the only victim of speculation, with reports emerging ahead of the Canadian GP that Haas were seriously considering axing Ocon, and that team principal Ayao Komatsu was unhappy with the star.

Both Ocon and Komatsu delivered an impassioned response to the media in Montreal denying these reports, where the team boss stated the claims were 'absolute b*******' and his driver added the rumours were 'complete nonsense'.

F1 Sergio Perez Cadillac Valtteri Bottas Colton Herta