Mercedes reserve Bottas clears the final hurdle before switching to Cadillac

12:20, 20 Aug

Updated: 12:58, 20 Aug

byLudo van Denderen

GPblog reported a few weeks ago: Valtteri Bottas had reached a verbal agreement with Cadillac for a contract with the new American racing team. Now it seems the final step toward a partnership is also being taken: putting pen to paper.

Valtteri Bottas will be the first driver of the new Cadillac F1 Team, as GPblog could exclusively announce during the Grand Prix weekend in Belgium. The only thing left to do was to put all agreements on paper and then seal them with a signature. That moment now seems to have been announced. The deal may be officially revealed in Zandvoort.

With Bottas, Cadillac brings a wealth of experience for the adventure in Formula 1. The 35-year-old Finn is a former runner-up in the drivers' standings, who is currently the third driver of Mercedes. He is known for his excellent technical knowledge, which makes him invaluable for a team preparing to enter the F1 in the coming months.

Will Sergio Perez be the second man next to Bottas?

The question then turns to who will be Bottas's teammate? The name of Sergio Perez is often mentioned, partly due to the financially powerful sponsors he brings along.

Formula 2 driver Jak Crawford mentioned earlier having had talks with Cadillac for that seat. Felipe Drugovich and Alex Dunne are also in the picture.