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Valtteri Bottas has revealed that Cadillac moved “immediately” to reassure him after speculation about his Formula 1 future gathered pace earlier this season.
The 10-time grand prix winner said the team’s management told him the reports were “completely false”. The rumours suggested that reserve driver Colton Herta could be lined up to replace him, despite Cadillac publicly rejecting that possibility and pointing out that Herta does not yet hold an FIA Super Licence while remaining committed to his F2 campaign.
The story emerged after Bottas appeared to be struggling against team-mate Sergio Perez. However, it later became clear that the Finn had been dealing with a series of power-unit and chassis-related problems on his side of the garage, complicating any direct comparison between the two drivers.
With the immediate uncertainty resolved, Bottas has now ruled himself out of Formula 1’s approaching “silly season”.
Speaking to media including RacingNews365, Bottas acknowledged the speed at which unverified reports can spread, particularly through social media.
“It’s part of the sport,” he said. “Sometimes there are some headlines that are not true.”
“You know, that’s just how it goes. And then, especially now with social media, people pick it up pretty quickly; things can go viral quite quickly.”
Bottas said Cadillac contacted him as soon as the rumours became apparent, giving him confidence that his position was not under threat.
“But the main thing is, I know the situation. Immediately when we saw the rumours, the team came to me and said, ‘These are completely false’, and I also know what my situation is, so that’s why it’s fine,” he added.
“It is nothing new in my career, and for every driver at some point, they’re going to go through things like this. So no silly season [for me].”
While rejecting the replacement narrative, Bottas was keen to underline Herta’s value to Cadillac. The American has been supporting the team from its simulator while continuing to learn in F2 — a pathway also reflected in the latest Formula 2 coverage from Spa.
Bottas believes Herta’s background gives the team a different perspective.
“He’s been supporting us from the simulator,” Bottas explained. “He’s still learning in F2, so he’s definitely a good asset to have.”
“He’s got different views from his past; he comes from a completely different category, a different mindset and views, so that can help us.”
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.
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