Valtteri Bottas expressing gratitude to Mercedes

Bottas claims Sainz's Williams signing pushed him to Cadillac for 2026

21:39, 25 Oct

byShayni Solanki

Former Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas says that Carlos Sainz's signing for Williams pushed him towards the Cadillac seat for 2026.

Bottas told Motorsport Week that he was close to signing a deal with his former team, Williams, for the near future, but the British heritage team opted for the Spanish driver instead.

This loss led him to sign with the new Cadillac Formula 1 team, partnering with former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez in the 11th team on the grid.

valtteri-bottas-and-sergio-perez-announced-as-cadillac-drivers.jpg

Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez - Photo: Cadillac

"Carlos Sainz happened."

- Valtteri Bottas

Bottas told Motorsport Week in Austin that he was "pretty close to signing with them for this year.

"Last year, we had the contract already, so it was pretty close.

"Carlos Sainz happened. So, yeah, that’s F1.”

Had Sainz not signed with Williams, Cadillac would have missed the chance of signing the 10-time race winner.

Cadillac opted for the two veteran drivers, each with a decade worth of experience racing at top teams like Mercedes and Red Bull.

Read also

The American team are set to join the grid next season, contracted to use a Ferrari power unit until 2029, then General Motors will take over as the power unit supplier.

After Cadillac's 2026 line-up was announced, Bottas said: "From the moment I began speaking with the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, I felt something different – something ambitious but also grounded.

"This isn’t just a racing project; it’s a long-term vision.

"It's not every day that you get a chance to be part of something being built from the ground up and helping shape it into something that truly belongs on the F1 grid.

“I’ve had the honour of working with some of the best teams in the world, and I can already see the same professionalism and hunger here."

GPblog's latest F1 Paddock Update

Want to stay up-to-date with what happens in the F1 paddock? Then GPblog's F1 Paddock Update video is the perfect way to do it. Subscribe to GPblog's YouTube channel and turn on notifications to never miss the latest episodes.