Valtteri Bottas is reportedly in talks with Cadillac over a return to the F1 grid in 2026. The series’ newest team have two seats to fill and are looking to the experienced Finn, who is currently a reserve driver with Mercedes, to bolster their chances of being competitive in year one.

According to Autosport, the 35-year-old will hold talks with team principal Graeme Lowdon and other team representatives at the British Grand Prix as they look to strike an agreement.

Mario Andretti previously let on that Cadillac are searching for an experienced head to guide the team in their first year on the grid, and Bottas fits the bill. He has made no secret of his desire to return to the F1 grid in 2026. The 10-time Grand Prix winner discovered late in the 2024 campaign that Sauber would not renew his contract, with Mattia Binotto instead leaning toward Formula Two champion Gabriel Bortoleto to partner Nico Hulkenberg.

This development confirms Mercedes boss Toto Wolff‘s suspicions. “He has the ambition and the talent to come back into Formula One,” he told the Bloomberg Hot Pursuit podcast. “And if that doesn’t fly, he’s gonna make a career in Le Mans or in IndyCar or whatever, because he’s so good.”

If Bottas’ talks result in a formal agreement, all eyes will turn to the second Cadillac seat. Until now, Sergio Perez was reported to be the frontrunner, having held talks with the American outfit earlier in the year. The Mexican racer is targeting a return to the grid after he was dropped by Red Bull in December.

There is a chance that Cadillac would partner Perez and Bottas in their debut driver line-up, but Lowdon could also call upon the services of a young talent to pair with an experienced head.

At the head of the running for this role is, according to the report, Felipe Drugovich. The Brazilian has been waiting patiently in the wings as a test and reserve driver for Aston Martin, but is yet to experience a Grand Prix from the cockpit. He also has experience representing the Cadillac brand in the IMSA SportsCar Championship and World Endurance Championship.

Then there is the matter of Colton Herta. After their F1 entry was confirmed, Cadillac representatives made it clear that signing an American driver was a priority, and the 25-year-old from California fit the bill. However, he is struggling to string together consistent results in IndyCar and appears to have slipped down the pecking order.

All of these factors pave the way for Bottas to seal his F1 return. The Finn was right to feel hard done by after leaving Sauber, and his decision to stay close to the paddock in 2025 rather than moving to IndyCar is paying off.