Latest news with #Bottas
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Valtteri Bottas on Cadillac talks and 'plan B' which would involve shock switch
He returned to Mercedes after losing his Formula 1 race seat but Valtteri Bottas doesn't plan to stick around for long, eyeing a 2026 seat elsewhere – or possibly an F1 exit altogether Valtteri Bottas insists "I've got a good few years in me" as he eyes a return to the Formula 1 grid. The Finn, 35, lost his place on the grid last December after three years at Sauber, with new parent company Audi wanting to pick its own racers. So he returned to Mercedes, where he previously spent five years as Lewis Hamilton's team-mate and won 10 races, as a reserve. But Bottas is already fed up of being on the sidelines. "The first race was probably the hardest," he told Mirror Sport at the start of our conversation in the Mercedes motorhome. "I miss giving it all out there in the qualifying, being on the limit. I miss the racing as a whole and seeing the starting grid just before the race. It's like, 'Damn, I just want to be out there'. "But I think it's natural. I think also to me that confirms that I still feel like I've got a good few years of racing in me. And I still love it. I never doubted that I wanted to continue racing, but it just confirms that I still have a big hunger for it. I want to be back on the grid next year, basically. That's the target." Sign up to our free weekly F1 newsletter, Pit Lane Chronicle, by entering your email address below so that every new edition lands straight in your inbox! To that end, Bottas and his team have been assessing their options and one of them is clear and obvious – the newcomers. F1 will have 22 drivers on the grid next year with Cadillac joining as the sport's 11th team and Bottas has been heavily linked with one of the two new seats available. He confirms he has held talks with the American outfit: "The new team joining the sport is also exciting. I think Cadillac, what we've seen so far, looks a really cool and interesting project. As a driver, you can kind of start from scratch. Everything is new, so you can actually make a really big impact and, for me, that's quite interesting. There's been some [discussions]. But they are not in a rush and neither am I, really." Around a dozen drivers are thought to be keen on one of the Cadillac seats, but Bottas isn't one to shy away from competition. He smiled: "My strength is still experience. I've been in three different teams, I've been part of winning five constructors' championships. So I think that's my strength, that I've been in an environment and seen what it actually needs for a team to be winning." If he doesn't get onto the 2026 grid, he'd rather race elsewhere than stay on the fringes of F1. Bottas said: "F1 is the priority, but then I've got to have a plan B. And one solid option would be IndyCar – I've had some discussions, yeah. I think just over the years in this sport, I've learned you need to have a plan B. Until pen hits the paper here, nothing is confirmed and I saw it last year, how things went. So I'm not doing that mistake again." Bottas has had an F1 career most could only dream of, with five teams' title wins and 10 race victories – only Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso have better records on the current grid. But if he doesn't get another shot, he admits he won't be satisfied that he has done all he can in the sport. He said: "No, [I'm] never happy. I mean, yes, if I look at the big picture, yes, I've achieved some cool stuff. But there's still this hunger in me that I still want something more. That's why I'm still here."
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Cadillac's 2026 F1 Debut Draws Interest from Mercedes Reserve Driver
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. With the Cadillac Formula One team entering the grid in 2026, Mercedes reserve driver Valtteri Bottas has shown considerable interest in one of the two seats. He also confirmed that Cadillac has a few drivers on the list, and believes he is one of the best options for the new American outfit. Bottas ended his stint with the Sauber F1 team last year after a management restructuring that saw Mattia Binotto take the throne as the team's CEO and CTO. The team's driver lineup was replaced entirely by Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto ahead of Audi's full takeover in 2026. Zhou Guanyu became a Ferrari reserve driver, while Bottas rejoined the team he once experienced huge success with in the past alongside Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes. Despite a lackluster season with Sauber last year, Bottas confirmed that he isn't done with F1 just yet. Oscar Piastri of Australia driving the (81) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes leads Lando Norris of Great Britain driving the (4) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB21... Oscar Piastri of Australia driving the (81) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes leads Lando Norris of Great Britain driving the (4) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB21 George Russell of Great Britain driving the (63) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W16 Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Scuderia Ferrari SF-25 Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving the (16) Scuderia Ferrari SF-25 and the rest of the field at the start during the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on June 01, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain. MoreSpeaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, Bottas revealed Cadillac's main priority at present. He said: "I don't think they're in a massive rush, they've been very, very busy trying to get a car on the grid for next year." Bottas then revealed why he is an ideal candidate for Cadillac and opened up on the timeline for deciding about the 2026 season. He added: "I think they have a few drivers on the list. I would imagine my experience will help because now I've raced in three different teams, with one of the teams having mega success. With Williams as well, we had some great results, so I hope I'm in a good position. "I know my timeline, when I want to know about next year and what plans I need to make, which I think is more or less August, which is a pretty good target for that, and hopefully, we'll hear something more soon. "For me, I actually see a very interesting project, something new to F1, an American team with maybe a different view to the sport. "If I were there as a driver, it would be very interesting because you can start from scratch. "The team starts from zero. You could actually make a big influence on certain things, which direction to go, and that would be very motivating and rewarding when the success comes. "I think the rule change is always a good point to jump in because you just never know, if you suddenly get it right, you might actually be doing really well from the get-go." Newsweek Sports reported comments from Cadillac F1 team principal Graeme Lowdon in April, who confirmed that the team was in talks with a few drivers but discussions hadn't reached an advanced stage yet. He said: "We are either planning or have spoken to you know probably seven or eight drivers all together. It would be no surprise that anybody who has got recent Formula 1 experience would be included in that list but I would stress that at the moment, any discussions are very preliminary. "They are just really trying to get to know what people's interest levels are, what their motivations are. We're certainly not in advanced discussions with any driver."
BBC News
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix build-up with Piastri on pole
All eyes on Piastri Image source, Getty Images Oscar Piastri has secured what every driver wanted at Imola - pole position. The old school Italian circuit's mix of high-speed corners, chicanes and various bumps and unevenness throughout the lap can make passing an opponent a challenge, and can punish a mistake within the blink of an eye. The track also only has one DRS zone, which is on the main straight. Since the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix was added to the calendar in five years ago, only Max Verstappen has converted his two pole positions into race victories. Former Mercedes drivers Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton were both unsuccessful from the head of the grid in 2020 and 2021 respectively. If Piastri is successful today, he'll have won five of the seven races this season; the momentum for his title bid picking up pace during the first triple header last month.
Top Gear
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Valtteri Bottas is in talks to return to Formula One in 2026
Formula One Could Cadillac be a good fit? 'I do like an Escalade… and the Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters' Skip 1 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Valtteri Bottas is talking to teams about a return to the F1 grid in 2026, the 10-time grand prix winner has told The Finn's unbroken 12-year stint in the sport came to an end in 2024 after Sauber dropped both him and teammate Zhou Guanyu following a forgettable year in which the team built the slowest car on the grid and finished stone dead last. Advertisement - Page continues below Bottas immediately took up the reserve driver gig at old team Mercedes for 2025, but he insists he's fully focused on making a comeback in F1 rather than joining another series. 'My aim is to be racing again,' said Bottas. 'So that means I've got to be aware of what is happening [in the driver market]. Of course I'm here [in Miami] focused on my job, but at the same time… gotta keep my ears and eyes open." You might like Among the available seats for next season are two brand new ones at the incoming Cadillac F1 team, which was 'launched' (if you can call it that) at a glitzy party in downtown Miami on Saturday night. Reports have linked ex-Red Bull driver Sergio Perez to one of those seats, but it's not known if the fledgling team wants two veteran drivers or a mix of youth and experience. Advertisement - Page continues below The US team, which will use Ferrari engines until 2029, is unlikely to find itself at the front of the field as its operation ramps up amid the biggest F1 rulebook overhaul in more than a decade. Does the idea of many, many blue flags put Bottas off? 'Cadillac is a new team joining the sport, which is exciting,' he said. 'What would be motivating for me is to get into a project, you know? Commit to X amount of years with clear targets. That's what I need at this point. 'I don't see the point of just doing one season just to be in Formula One. But what I feel like I need is a clear project. And I think it's a good example with a new team, that would be quite refreshing, when you can really start from scratch. 'But at the same time, if a place opens up in a car that you can fight for good points or even podiums or wins, then of course I would be happy to. But it's quite tricky at the moment to see how things are unfolding.' Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. As well as his 10 wins with Mercedes, the 35-year-old finished on the podium 67 times and scored 20 pole positions, and as Lewis Hamilton's wingman the Silver Arrows won the constructors' title in all five seasons he was there. Is there a part of him that's happy to call it a day? 'I'm not content,' he said. 'I still feel like I definitely have a few years in me, and more to give to the sport. That's my feeling. But again, it's a sport that is hard to predict how things are going to unfold and if you're gonna get another chance or not.' In the meantime, Bottas has a small but punchy car collection to keep him occupied in Monaco. In the garage at the moment are a Mercedes GLS 450 (company car, duh), Alfa Giulia GTAm, Ferrari F8 Tributo and a Mercedes-AMG One. And the 'new baby' – an Alfa 33 Stradale, which he helped develop with a day of testing on track – is due to arrive in a few weeks. What feedback did he give it? 'It was mainly about the drivability of the engine and then the balance of the car on the racetrack,' he said. 'I think it was the very first day on track with the car. So it was quite interesting for me to get a feeling with the car and if there's any adjustments needed.' Bottas says he went 'pretty traditional' with a red finish and 'a bit of carbon in there as well', but he isn't looking for any more wheels at this stage. No room for a Cadillac then? 'I do like an Escalade,' he says. 'And the Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters .' Someone's been doing their homework…
Reuters
18-04-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
Antonelli credits 'massive help' from Bottas
Formula One F1 - Japanese Grand Prix - Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka, Japan - April 6, 2025 Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli speaks to media after the Japanese Grand Prix REUTERS/Manami Yamada Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab JEDDAH, April 18 (Reuters) - Mercedes reserve driver Valtteri Bottas may not be racing in Formula One this season but the 10 times grand prix winner has been helping the team's young Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli go faster. The vastly experienced 35-year-old Finn, veteran of 246 races, lost his seat at future Audi entry Sauber at the end of last year and returned to the former champions in a back-up role. The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here. Antonelli, 18, credited Bottas with making a huge difference in helping turn things around for him on track in Japan this month. "I'm never going to refuse or never not going to listen to any advice," the Italian told reporters at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. "I'm just a young fella coming into the world of F1. I've got so much more to learn. "So it's been extremely helpful... Suzuka was a massive help. Together with him I was able to turn around massively the weekend from what it was looking before in practice to what it looked in qualifying and then after the race. "In Suzuka I was definitely struggling a lot with (tyre) warm-up. "So that was a really good help from him, explaining the best things to do in the warm-up in order to be able to extract the best of the tyre, having the tyres ready for the lap. "It's not so much about driving but all about those little details that can make the difference on track." Antonelli is sixth in the standings after four races and finished sixth in Japan. He also became the youngest driver to lead a Formula One grand prix and set a fastest lap. Bottas raced at Mercedes for five seasons from 2017-2021 alongside seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, now at Ferrari, and finished overall runner-up in 2019 and 2020. He won in Japan in 2019. Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
