Valtteri Bottas has told Motorsport Week of his excitement at returning to full-time racing in Formula 1 next year with American newcomers Cadillac.
From taking on the Mercedes reserve driver role to two-stepping downtown in Austin, Texas, to a unique trip to Seoul, South Korea, Valtteri Bottas has had an unconventional 2025 season so far.
While the former Sauber driver’s return to Mercedes as a reserve driver wasn’t necessarily on the cards for him, as he was set to join the Williams F1 team in 2025. Bottas was able to turn his misfortune from the failed Williams contact into an opportunity at Mercedes that has not only helped prepare him for his new driver role on the Cadillac F1 team but has also fueled his motivation to get back to his true passion, racing.
Motorsport Week sat down exclusively with Bottas in Austin ahead of the United States Grand Prix [an appropriate setting for the Finn, who will be immersed in American culture] as he makes his F1 comeback with Cadillac for the 2026 season. The 10-time F1 Grand Prix-winner opened up about his Mercedes role and what he’s looking forward to the most as he prepress to make history as one of the first drivers to join the new F1 Cadillac team.
Bottas, who made his full-time F1 debut in 2013 with Williams, claims that while switching roles from driver to reserve driver was a different experience for him, it ultimately pushed him outside his normal routine as a racer, giving him valuable insight into how the Mercedes team operates behind the scenes.
“Yeah, quite different, of course,” he said. “You know, after racing 12 years in a row, you kind of get to the routine of: you turn up, you prepare for the race weekend, you’re going to be in the car. But now it’s been different. I’ve been still, like, very involved with everything, but without the driving part.
“So it’s like, just watching from the outside. But I’ve actually learned quite a lot, I think, I’ve never seen this side of the sport, just following everything, little bit outside the box, which I think it can, it can benefit me in the future, like I’ve really seen how the team actually works behind the scenes, instead of, in the car.
“For example, you only have one point of contact normally. But now I hear all the channels, and I see, really, in a big picture, what’s happening. So it’s been interesting at the same time, but I miss racing, obviously” he said.
Bottas ‘has the fire’ to race more
Although Bottas acknowledges how beneficial his time as a reserve driver has been for the bigger picture at Cadillac next season, he admits that the biggest takeaway from Mercedes this year has been coming to the realisation that he misses racing.
“Well, I think all the details on how the team operates, because Cadillac is building a team from scratch, so I think they will need that guidance and help on something. So yeah, I’ve seen everything there is to see here. You know how the team is structured, how it works. So for sure, I can sometimes help out if there’s any issues. So that’s one thing.
“And [a] big takeaway from this year is just it has confirmed to me how much I miss racing, because every weekend is getting harder and harder to follow, and also it still means that I definitely have the fire in me to race more.”
When asked specifically if being sidelined this season at Mercedes has fueled his motivation for racing, Bottas didn’t hold back.
“Yes, it’s like the same feeling when I signed the contract is almost as good as signing my first ever F1 contract. It’s like, ‘I’m an F1 driver again’. Yeah, it’s really cool. And I feel like now I appreciate the sport much more than before. It’s so rare for the 20 drivers to be able to be there. And yeah, I think I just have much more respect for the sport again, that I did before.”
In addition to his reserve duties with Mercedes, Bottas has also embraced a mentor role to rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli who he admits “is the one with more questions” and has “more to learn still,” adding: “But, yeah, it’s been good.”
Bottas praises Antonelli after year of mentoring
Bottas also spoke candidly about what has impressed him the most working with Antonelli and how he can’t help but relate to the young Italian when it comes to the pressure that comes along with being an F1 driver.
“Well, he’s so young that, if I think about myself in his age, you know, would I have been ready to race in a top team at that age? I’m not sure you know. So, yeah, I think he’s coped well, there’s a lot to take in. There’s a lot of pressure, and he’s keeping it together. I know that he’s had some tough moments.
For Antonelli, who has endured a rookie season of ups and downs with Mercedes, has been able to rely on Bottas for support during those most difficult times.
“Yeah, I try to be there as a support. And yes, we’ve talked about mistakes and how to overcome those. And he’s learning, but again, in sports in general, it’s always way easier to say things than actually, for the person to do them. Like, if you tell somebody ‘forget about that mistake, move on.’ You know, it’s easier to say that, but he’s learning every, weekend, he’s learning. He’s becoming more confident, not just in the car, but also outside the car.”
When it comes to leaving behind the Mercedes reserve driver role and transitioning into full-time F1 driver mode, Bottas feels confident that it will not be difficult and that he can pick up where he left off in F1 from his 2024 Sauber seat.
“I think I’ve done it so many years that I think becomes quite automatic,” he said. “Of course, certain things change. You know, there’s going to be much more preparation involved. But, getting to drive an F1 car again with a new team, it’s going to be something really unique. And for sure, it’s going to be hard work, no doubt, but I’m definitely ready for it, and I don’t see any issues like and I’ve had some test days this year, and every time I’ve jumped in the car, I felt good. I felt not rusty at all or anything. So, yeah, I’m quite confident it’s going to be good.”
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