Cadillac in no rush on 2027 line-up as Bottas awaits decision
Cadillac team principal Marcin Budkowski says the team is in no hurry to name its 2027 second driver, while Valtteri Bottas says he is 'pretty confident' of staying and that any decision must be approved by the bosses in the United States.
A seat that is not yet decided
Sergio Perez's contract extension, announced ahead of his home race, settled one of Cadillac's two seats for the next several years. The other one is still a topic in the Mexico City paddock. Rumours say that reserve driver Colton Herta could replace Valtteri Bottas in 2027. Neither PlanetF1 nor Crash.net names an origin for the reports, and Cadillac has announced no decision.
What Bottas said
Bottas, who missed Thursday's media duties because of illness, answered questions about the rumours. "I don't really have much to say. That's the situation, there's rumours," he said, according to Crash.net. He added that for him it was always clear who is here next year and that he remains pretty confident of a second season.
He also pointed to the process: final decisions are expected at board meetings that he believes will come soon, and everything has to be validated with the bosses in the USA. He noted that Perez has extended while he has not yet signed anything new.
What Cadillac said
According to PlanetF1, team principal Marcin Budkowski told Sky F1 that having an American driver matters to the team, saying "It's an American team. It races under an American flag." He stressed that the team is in no rush to decide and wants the right driver at the moment the team is ready for one.
Budkowski also said Perez earned his extension on the track. On Bottas, he said that in some races the team does not see a reason for a deficit in the data. PlanetF1 reports that Bottas scored Cadillac's best result so far, 13th in China.
The Herta question
Herta ran in his fifth first practice session of the season in Mexico. PlanetF1 says he still needs another 100 km session to complete his FIA Super Licence requirements. He is 19th in the Formula 2 standings after switching from IndyCar. Budkowski described the goal of the year as having Herta as part of the team, including simulator work. Mercedes reserve Fred Vesti has also said openly that he wants the Cadillac seat.
By the numbers
In our OpenF1 data, Bottas and Perez are both on zero points after 18 races, 22nd and 23rd in the drivers' standings. Cadillac has yet to score in its first season, which is the backdrop to any line-up decision.
What comes next
The Mexico City Grand Prix starts at 20:00 UTC on Sunday, with Bottas on a 50-place grid penalty. The next race is the Brazilian Grand Prix on 6 to 8 November. No date has been given for a Cadillac announcement.
