Bottas already in Cadillac talks in Melbourne
The Finn is not giving up on his F1 career
By GMM
16 March 2025 – 13:07
Valtteri Bottas was spotted in conversation with a representative of Formula 1âs new team for 2026, Cadillac, in the Melbourne paddock.
The Finn is not giving up on his F1 career just yet, signing up at the age of 35 to serve as Mercedesâ full-time reserve after losing his Sauber seat.
Heâs also been tackling a reputation linked to his cool character, with his former long-time sponsor Antti Aarnio-Wihuri recently declaring: “I do wonder about a person whose entire career depended on us and then he just stops all contact.
“We even arranged for him to join Mercedes. He would never have gotten there without us,” the billionaire added.
Bottas was asked about the comments in Melbourne.
“It was a bit of a strange feeling because I think Iâve always been grateful,” he told Viaplay. “I wouldnât be at this point without the partners who have helped me throughout my career.
“Iâve been pretty busy, and I havenât seen Antti in a few years. Iâll have to stop by for a coffee next time.”
As for Cadillac, which could be Bottasâ best chance of a race comeback next year, whispers in the paddock suggest the GM-backed outfit ultimately had to pay a whopping $450m âanti-dilutionâ fee to placate F1âs existing ten teams.
“What happened is now behind us,” Williams boss James Vowles, a regular critic of Cadillac or Andretti entering the sport, said at Albert Park.
“To be really clear, the key difference compared to Andretti is that GM and Cadillac are major brands that bring with them huge amounts of accolades, and I think they will put the sport in a better place, attracting more sponsorship.
“The biggest impact will be in the job market,” Vowles added. “GM is doing a great job of attracting talent, and thatâs probably a bigger issue than anything else.”
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Cadillac F1 Team – General Motors
