Valtteri Bottas set for surprise Ferrari outing before 2026 begins

Valtteri Bottas is set to drive Ferrari machinery ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season, despite being signed as part of Cadillac’s debut driver line-up.

The Finn is making his return to a full-time race seat after spending the 2025 campaign as Mercedes’ reserve driver, and will partner Sergio Perez as Cadillac fields its first-ever pairing in the championship.

Cadillac’s arrival expands the grid to 11 teams, marking the first time since 2016 that Formula 1 has featured more than 10 entrants on the grid.

Bottas previously raced full-time in the sport between 2013-2024, before being axed by his former Sauber team after not scoring a single world championship point in the 2024 season.

However, Bottas is a 10-time grand prix winner and boasts a plethora of experience, making him a vital asset to the new team as they attempt to find their feet in the sport.

Bottas has been confirmed as a participant in the Adelaide Motorsport Festival at the end of February ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, where he will drive a 1985 Ferrari.

The 156/85 in question was the car used for the inaugural Adelaide F1 race, and was the car with which Michele Alboreto challenged for that year's world championship, winning two races but missing out on the main prize to French racing legend Alain Prost.

As part of the Adelaide Motorsport Festival, Bottas will also take part in a meet and greet with racing fans, before his focus will switch to the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne just a week later.

Where will Cadillac and Bottas place in 2026?

Cadillac have got two very experienced racers in their two seats in 2026, as well as an experienced reserve driver, after Zhou Guanyu was confirmed to be taking up that position earlier this week.

It's a team that looks strong from the outside looking in, and they will be using Ferrari power units from 2026 which gives them fewer things to worry about than another new name on the grid in Audi, who are developing their own power units straight from the off as well as needing to get their car design spot on.

Nevertheless, Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon has already said that the team will find things harder going than Audi, who took over an already functioning F1 team in Sauber.

Cadillac have had to start everything from scratch, and their entrance into the sport was only officially confirmed back in November 2024.

Lowdon has said that he expects the outfit to be challenging right at the back of the pack for the 2026 season, despite their blockbuster driver lineup.

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