Valtteri Bottas says he and Sergio Perez are putting Cadillac first

Both Bottas and Perez joined Cadillac for the 2026 F1 season after spending a year on the sidelines. The Finn spent 2025 watching F1 races from the Mercedes team garage, where he was a reserve driver after being let go by Sauber at the end of 2024.

On the other hand, the Mexican spent the 2025 season watching F1 races at home after Red Bull Racing replaced him at the end of 2024 with Liam Lawson, who was promptly replaced by Yuki Tsunoda after two grands prix with the team.

Bottas believes his and his teammate's past experiences with top teams help both of them develop Cadillac, which is the 11th brand-new team in the sport.

He said: “I think we have both seen a lot in this sport; we have seen what works with a good team, and we have both also seen what doesn’t quite work.

“We have both seen the good and bad. I think we have a good understanding of what the team needs, what the car needs to operate to be at the best level. So, I think together, especially with the mindset we both have, we are definitely putting the team first ahead of us. That will hopefully help us to improve quicker," he explained.

The winner of 10 grands prix revealed a different aspect in his work with Cadillac, which comes naturally when working for a new team.

He added: “I’ve never been part of designing a steering wheel layout, or you know, choosing the exact buttons for the wheels.

“For example, choosing the very own steering ratio I want, stuff like that. There’s so much more you can do when you are starting as a new team, when you are not carrying any habits or bits from the past.

"You can really be part of designing everything in the car, which is super cool," the 36-year-old maintained.

In his 13th season in the top flight, and after one season away, Bottas admitted he has come to appreciate being an F1 driver even more.

He said of his forced hiatus: “[It] has made a big difference. I appreciate being part of the sport. I appreciate the sport, everything around it much more than before.

“Especially the racing side of it, the whole process on Sunday, you get ready, jump in the car, the grid, the national anthem, you just have this appreciation of everything—that we are so lucky to be there.

"So, for me, it has made a huge difference, and I think it can help me in the years ahead," Bottas concluded.

Cadillac finally managed to finish a race with both cars at the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix despite Bottas being one lap down. (Source: Sky Sports F1)