Bottas already in Cadillac talks in Melbourne

Mar.15 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas was spotted in conversation with a representative of Formula 1’s 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 Mercedes’ full-time reserve after losing his Sauber seat.

He’s 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 I’ve always been grateful,” he told Viaplay. “I wouldn’t be at this point without the partners who have helped me throughout my career.

“I’ve been pretty busy, and I haven’t seen Antti in a few years. I’ll have to stop by for a coffee next time.”

As for Cadillac, which could be Bottas’ best chance of a race comeback next year, whispers in the paddock suggest the GM-backed outfit ultimately had to pay a whopping $450m ‘anti-dilution’ fee to placate F1’s 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 that’s probably a bigger issue than anything else.”