mercedes reserve driver valtteri bottas have confirmed that the Brackley outfit will not stand in their way when it comes to getting some starting work for the Cadillac Formula 1 team.
Finnish driver set to join former Red Bull driver sergio perez In American attire for their first year at the championship in 2026.
While Bottas is currently under contract with Mercedes as a reserve driver, he explained crash.net Talks have already taken place between Mercedes chief Toto Wolff and Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowden.
“There have been talks. I think Graeme (Loddon, Cadillac team principal) and Toto (Wolff, Mercedes team principal and CEO), they are also in talks,” Bottas explained.
“Mercedes has been really supportive on the change, so I don’t think they will stop me in any way.
“Me and Cadillac have already had discussions about online meetings and things like that, what I’m allowed to do and that’s OK.
“Everyone understands there is a lot of work to do and there is already feedback from some drivers that they need certain things.
Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
Photo by: Shamim Fahth / motorsport network
“Obviously, I’ll start in January with Cadillac, but before that there are some things I can do here and there.”
“I think the simulator stuff, I think actually Mercedes and Cadillac are going to talk (about it) this weekend. So I can tell you later,” Bottas said.
“But I’ve already visited the Silverstone facility – just had a quick look. Things like that. So yes, I’ll do some things.”
After visiting Cadillac’s headquarters at Silverstone, Bottas was pleased to see the progress the team has already made.
“Yeah. I really didn’t expect everything to be so advanced. But I guess they started a long time ago,” he added.
“Obviously there is still a lot of work to do but what I have seen so far is impressive and gives me more confidence for the future.”
Cadillac will enter its first season as the 11th team on the F1 grid with an experienced driver line-up, but Lowden remains realistic about his expectations for the team’s entry into the championship.
“If a new team came in and immediately became competitive against them, you would be very upset and very angry,” Lowden said. F1.com“And so, we know it’s a big challenge. It’s very difficult to determine what success might look like, except that we simply have to perform as well as we can and gain respect from other competitors.
“I think that’s always the first goal because, if we do that, we know we’ll do a good job.”
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