Bottas: My 2027 Cadillac Ticket Is Already Booked
A winless season, no points, a new team boss and a rookie waiting in the wings. Valtteri Bottas sounds entirely unbothered.
Valtteri Bottas has again dismissed speculation that Colton Herta could replace him at Cadillac next season, insisting his 2027 seat is already secured.
The Finn turns 37 between Zandvoort and Monza, but told Ilta-Sanomat that age is not becoming a factor.
Is Bottas too old for a 2027 seat?
He does not think the question is even worth asking.
"This is a good age to continue my career," said the former Mercedes driver.
"At no point has it felt like anything has gotten worse. My physique is good and I gain more experience every year. My reaction times are still the same as when I started driving."
"Nothing has gotten worse."
Bottas spent 2025 out of a race seat before Cadillac brought him back, and drivers who have lost a cockpit once tend to guard the next one carefully. His argument is straightforward: nothing measurable has declined, so the calendar is somebody else's problem.
What did he say about the Herta rumours?
When asked about his future, Bottas was equally direct.
"I have a ticket here for next season and I will focus solely on continuing here," he answered.
That comes despite repeated rumours that Cadillac-backed Herta, currently collecting super licence points in Formula 2, could be promoted for 2027. An American driver in an American team is an obvious commercial story. Bottas is betting that a rookie is not what a struggling new team needs.
How quick is the Cadillac really?
This is where Bottas becomes unusually blunt. Asked what the team could achieve if the car worked properly and reliability problems disappeared, he refused to sell a dream.
"We wouldn't be able to get into the points yet, because the gap to the others exists."
"In the normal races, we could currently place somewhere around 18-20th place. That's where we are."
"We need to get the reliability right so that we can finish every race."
It is a rare piece of honesty in a paddock built on optimism, and it explains why the 2026 standings still show Cadillac without a point.
What does he make of the Lowdon exit?
Stability is usually what a first-year team needs most, so losing the man who built it mid-season is not a small event. Bottas did not criticise the decision, but he did not pretend to have seen it coming either.
Bottas admitted that Graeme Lowdon's sudden removal caught him off guard, with Marcin Budkowski already installed as team principal.
"Of course it was a surprise in the middle of the season," Bottas said.
"I would think that such a change is a certain American way. When you see that something needs to be changed, then it is done quickly."
"Time will tell how the new guy performs his task."
Which is, in its way, the whole Cadillac project in one sentence. The intent is not in doubt. The execution is still being written.
Related: Cadillac Denies F1 Sale Talk as Drivers Back Shake-Up
One F1 fan comment on “Bottas: My 2027 Cadillac Ticket Is Already Booked”
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As has been clear for some time & Cadillac isn’t in a hurry to change after only one season anyway, especially since they’re happy with their drivers.