Bottas: I'm not content, my aim is to be racing again

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Bottas, a ten-time Grand Prix winner and former Mercedes number two, has found himself on the margins following Lewis Hamilton’s departure from the Silver Arrows at the end of 2024.

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff elevated George Russell to the lead role and made the bold decision to promote teenage talent Kimi Antonelli into the second seat for 2025. That move was widely viewed as a masterstroke for the future of the German team.

The result is Bottas, once a mainstay of the grid, currently serving as a reserve—a role that defies his skillset and experience. There is, however, a possible path back.

With Cadillac preparing for its Formula 1 debut in 2026, Bottas is understood to be one of the top candidates under consideration.

The American manufacturer’s project, backed by General Motors and led operationally by Graeme Lowdon and TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss, is scouting for drivers who can provide stability, technical feedback, and a foundation for growth.

Also believed to be in contention is Sergio Perez, another proven race winner with experience in top teams. Bottas and Perez would be assets for a new operation seeking rapid credibility on the grid. They have experience in great F1 teams and have partnered with some of the sport's best drivers and contributed to Mercedes’ and Red Bull’s Constructors’ various F1 titles during their respective peaks.

For Bottas, the Cadillac opportunity could represent a return to the cockpit and a chance to close out his Formula 1 career on his own terms. At 35, the Finn remains motivated and physically primed for competition, with a clear sense of unfinished business at the pinnacle of the sport.

“My aim is to be racing again,” Bottas declared in an interview with Top Gear. “So that means I’ve got to be aware of what is happening [in the driver market]. Of course I'm [in Miami] focusing on my job, but at the same time… gotta keep my ears and eyes open."

Regarding the link to the General Motors-funded Formula 1 project, Bottas said: “Cadillac is a new team joining the sport, which is exciting. 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 1. 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," revealed Bottas, who has celebrated on F1 podiums 67 times in his career.

Is he happy watching from the pit garage as a reserve? Bottas admitted: "I'm not content. 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. Or if you’re gonna get another chance or not.”

As for the Cadillac connection, Bottas added: “I do like an Escalade..."