Valtteri Bottas Responds to Cadillac Future Rumors

Valtteri Bottas has responded to rumors about his future at Cadillac. The Finnish driver, whose performance has been below expectations in recent races, said his 2027 contract is in order and that the team is satisfied with his work. This follows a statement from Marcin Budkowski, director of the American team, who avoided confirming whether his drivers will continue and admitted he had been contacted by several drivers interested in the seat.

"Yes, I mean, last year when I signed, I knew the terms, so all that is fine," Bottas declared when asked about the guarantees the team had given him for 2027. The Finn, who has accumulated 264 Formula 1 races, downplayed Budkowski's statements and assured that they don't worry him: "I wasn't aware of those statements and they don't worry me," he added.

Bottas's lack of pace, in both qualifying and the race, has fueled speculation about a possible departure from Cadillac. Names like Esteban Ocon, who lost his seat at Haas to Rafael Câmara, test driver Colton Herta, and Red Bull reserve driver Yuki Tsunoda have been mentioned as possible replacements; however, Bottas has remained calm and confident about his future.

"I mean, this is Formula 1; if cows flew, you know... anything can happen in this sport, but for now they seem happy with what they are getting from me. I think that is all that matters," the Finn reflected, a response that reflects his experience and his ability to manage pressure in an environment as competitive as Formula 1.

Marcin Budkowski, for his part, was evasive when asked about the possibility of Ocon joining the team: "Well, look, as team director, and I am sure it is the same with my colleagues, you receive calls and contacts from every driver or driver manager who is on the market, so there are several drivers and managers who have contacted me. I am not going to say who is or who isn't but practically everyone who is on the market has contacted, as was to be expected, but yes, I think this is the last place, as you can imagine, where I would communicate something about the driver lineup" he noted.

The Cadillac F1 director also avoided confirming whether Bottas and Sergio Pérez have valid contracts for 2027: "Again, this is the last place where I would comment on driver contracts and in general, I think it is not something that is done in the press, it is something that will be done through official team statements when the right moment comes," Budkowski concluded.

Cadillac faces the final stretch of the season with its sights set on 2027, and one of the unknowns the team must resolve in the coming weeks is Valtteri Bottas's continuity. The Finn, for his part, trusts his contract and the team's support to keep driving the American car next season.