Cadillac F1 · Driver Profile
ValtteriBottas
Five-time Constructors' Champion, ten-race winner, the calmest man on the grid — Cadillac's second 2026 driver brings a decade of front-running experience to F1's newest team.
Five-time Constructors' Champion, ten-race winner, the calmest man on the grid — Cadillac's second 2026 driver brings a decade of front-running experience to F1's newest team.
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Valtteri Viktor Bottas climbed F1's traditional ladder — go-karts in Finland, Formula Renault Eurocup, Formula 3, GP3 — and made his Formula 1 debut for Williams in 2013 at age 23. Four seasons of Williams development culminated in a 2016 podium streak that put him on Mercedes' radar.
When Nico Rosberg retired suddenly five days after winning the 2016 World Championship, Mercedes needed a number-two driver who would accept the role and deliver. Bottas was the call. Over the next five seasons he scored 10 race wins, helped Mercedes to five consecutive Constructors' Championships (2017–2021), and twice finished second in the Drivers' standings — behind Lewis Hamilton — without ever publicly breaking the team's running order.
After three years rebuilding at Alfa Romeo and Sauber and a year as Mercedes reserve, Cadillac offered him a foundational role: lead driver alongside Pérez, anchor experience for an entirely new operation, and a chance to be the first non-Hamilton teammate to a championship-grade powertrain (Ferrari for 2026–2028, then GM's own from 2029).
Cadillac F1 Team
Foundational second driver on F1's newest team. Signed alongside Sergio Pérez — announced August 26, 2025.
Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team (Reserve)
Reserve and simulator driver, keeping race-sharp through the Cadillac transition year. Tested the W16 during the in-season test calendar.
Alfa Romeo / Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber
Three seasons rebuilding the Hinwil squad. P6 finish at Imola 2022, P5 at Sao Paulo 2022. Quiet but professional through Sauber's pre-Audi transition.
Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team
Five championship-winning seasons. 10 wins (Russia 2017 his first), 17 pole positions, 58 podiums. Constructors' Champion every year of his Mercedes tenure.
Williams Martini Racing
F1 debut at Albert Park 2013. First podium at Austria 2014, followed by a breakout 2014 (P4 in the championship) and a podium-rich 2015. Stayed loyal through Williams's decline before the Mercedes call.
Williams F1 (Test & Reserve)
Reserve driver for Williams during his GP3 (2011 champion) and Formula 3 years. Logged simulator and Friday FP1 sessions while waiting for a race seat.
Bottas's pitch to Cadillac was experience without ego. He's been the calm half of the most successful team garage of the hybrid era — and he wanted one more chapter as part of a build rather than a defense.
The exciting part is the start. Everything is new — the people, the car, the relationships. I've been on a team that won every championship for five years; that's a different kind of pressure. Cadillac is the opposite of that and I'm here for it.— Valtteri Bottas · F1 Beyond The Grid, September 2025
Curated from The Garage — third-party videos featuring Bottas and his Cadillac signing.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Grand Prix entries | 238 |
| Race starts | 238 |
| Race wins | 10 |
| Podium finishes | 67 |
| Pole positions | 20 |
| Fastest laps | 19 |
| Career points | 1,797 |
| Best Drivers' Championship | 2nd (2019, 2020) |
| Constructors' Championships | 5 (2017–2021 · Mercedes) |
| Junior series titles | 2011 GP3 Champion, 2009 F. Renault NEC Champion |
