Bottas reacts: For this reason he chose Cadillac over Alpine
Valtteri Bottas returns to Formula 1. The Finn, who currently serves as a reserve driver for Mercedes, will return to action with Cadillac in 2026. After his announcement, he explained why he made the choice to drive for the American outfit.
Weeks ago, GPblog reported that Cadillac had reached an agreement with Bottas for a seat next season. The official announcement of the news came on Tuesday afternoon. The 35-year-old will be fellow veteran accompanied by Sergio Perez.
Cadillac was not the only team chasing the duo. Alpine had spoken with both Bottas and Perez, although this was from the drivers' own initiative. With Cadillac's announcement Tuesday afternoon, Alpine also immediately got the answer to the question of whether Bottas and Perez were still options for the coming season.
On Tuesday, Bottas explained why he chose to continue his career at Cadillac: "The first talks we had with Graeme (Lowdon, team principal of Cadillac, ed.) about this opportunity were about two years ago from now. And he's always kept in touch on how things are going and progressing. And then, yeah, early on this year, it was clear to me that this is what I want. I want to be part of this great brand, this, let's say, startup Formula One team, but with great structure and big goals."
"I'm here to give everything I have to the team. With Checo, we can definitely guide in the right direction, and of course, we're realistic. It's going to be a mountain of work to do, and it's going to be probably a difficult start because it is Formula 1. But yeah, we're not there to stay at the back."
"We don't want to finish last, and I believe with this structure, with this group, these people, there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to get relatively quickly up to the pace, and that way enjoy some success. We still have quite a few years left in the tank with Checo. I think, you know. So the goal is to enjoy the success together eventually when we get there," Bottas continued.
The ten-time race winner is very well aware that it won't be easy. Bottas said, "I've signed up for this. I know what to expect. You know, always mentally, if you kind of prepare for this, worst, it's better because then whatever you achieve, that's going to be really positive and rewarding. So for me, again, just being involved, getting my hands dirty with the team. Once that progress and success come, that's the trigger for me."
Popular on GPBlog
Cadillac F1 Team teases next announcement with new hint
OFFICIAL: Cadillac announces first-ever driver line-up for Formula 1!
F1 Today | Verstappen to get a new teammate?, New F1: The Movie milestone hit
