Bottas admits Cadillac has bigger issues than its drivers

Valtteri Bottas says Cadillac has bigger problems to solve than its drivers.

Speaking on media day for the F1 São Paulo Grand Prix, Bottas made his position clear.

“I think it’s pretty clear,” he said.

“It’s pretty clear we have bigger problems to solve than the drivers at the moment. And yeah, I think Mexico was one.”

Bottas is referring to the Mexico City Grand Prix, where he suffered a massive crash.

The cause was suspension failure after brake heat reached the wishbones.

Cadillac has since changed its suspension setup.

Bottas says he has not had a car he can deliver in all season.

“The team knows what they can get out of me,” he said.

“Everything works well, and if I feel the car and then confidence. And I think they know that if they can give me a car, then I can deliver.”

“But so far, they haven’t really delivered a car that I can deliver in. So that’s where we are.”

The Finn signed a multi-year deal with Cadillac before the 2026 season.

But the deal reportedly includes an option clause.

Cadillac extended teammate Sergio Perez’s contract before the Mexico Grand Prix.

Perez is now signed through 2029.

Cadillac did not clarify Bottas’s fate at the same time.

At the same time, the team is pushing to get American driver Colton Herta his FIA super license.

Herta finished one point short in Mexico.

He gets another practice run this weekend in Brazil to earn the required points.

Herta is not the only name in the frame.

Reports link Frederik Vesti, Liam Lawson and Esteban Ocon to the Cadillac seat.

Vesti finished third in FP1 in Mexico and declared his interest afterward.

Bottas says he came into the season with a different mindset.

“Honestly, that was always what I kind of expected coming into this year,” he said.

“I came here for trying to improve things in the future. For problem-solving and different mindset. Definitely not a mindset to fight for my seat.”

“And that’s not been in my head at all this year. It’s been all about trying to get things better and hopefully then have more fun next year.”

Bottas says the team knows what it can get out of him.

“Most of the time” he is managing issues rather than delivering to his full potential, he said.

He described the seat speculation as “extra distraction.”

“It’s never nice, you know?”

Bottas told The Athletic.

“It’s just extra distraction. But of course, over the years, I’ve learned to deal with it.”

“It doesn’t help anything. So it’s a bit of a shame in a way. But it’s just how this sport works.”

“The sport is getting more popular than it’s ever been, and everyone wants to be in Formula 1, one way or another.”

Bottas insists nothing has changed regarding his contract.

“At the moment, nothing has changed,” he said.

“The team still seems to be happy with what I’m doing. I know what the target is, it’s long-term. I know what my terms are in the paper.”

“So that’s why, to me at the moment, it’s just noise. That’s where we are.”

But driver changes at Cadillac require board approval.

Bottas revealed that any decision goes through the board, which includes General Motors members and majority shareholder TWG members.

“The way our team is structured and the way decisions are made for the future, everything needs to be approved by the board,” he said.

“And I believe that meeting is still yet to happen.”

“I’ve been convinced nothing has changed. So that’s where we are.”

Bottas says he expects a decision “soon.”

“With this structure that we have, they always need all the approvals from the board, which includes GM members, TWG members, all these people,” he said.

“Everything needs to be approved before. But that’s, I think, pretty soon.”

Cadillac could still opt to pay Bottas out of his contract.

But the Finn says he has been told nothing has changed.

The performance gap between Bottas and Perez has drawn scrutiny.

Bottas has been consistently slower in qualifying and race results.

He has also suffered mechanical failures beyond the Mexico crash.

He broke down with engine failure in Austin.

Perez, meanwhile, has been rewarded with a long-term extension.

What makes Cadillac’s choice trickier is the lack of an obvious upgrade.

According to reports, there is no candidate who would clearly outperform Bottas.

That has contributed to the decision being delayed.

Bottas spent a year on the sidelines before returning to F1 with Cadillac in 2026.

He joined the new team with hopes of a long-term stay, helping to build the project from the ground up.

The team is aiming to fight its way up the grid.

But the car has not delivered the performance Bottas expected.

“Not always, most of the time,” Bottas said when asked if he has been able to show his potential.

“I mean there’s been some events for sure.”

He pointed to the Mexico crash as an example.