Bottas breaks silence as Cadillac seat hangs in the balance

Valtteri Bottas has spoken out about the threat to his Cadillac F1 seat after a season of struggle and a terrifying crash in Mexico City.

The 10-time Grand Prix winner returned to Formula 1 this year after a year on the sidelines with Mercedes.

He joined Cadillac as part of the American team's debut season, signing a multi-year contract with the aim of helping build the project from the ground up.

But less than one season in, his future is in serious doubt.

His teammate Sergio Perez was rewarded with a contract extension that keeps him at Cadillac until 2029.

Bottas has not been confirmed for 2027.

The team has not triggered the option in his contract that would keep him in the seat.

Speaking ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Bottas addressed the speculation directly.

"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."

He added: "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."

"Everyone wants to find a way to get into Formula 1, one way or another."

Bottas has been consistently outpaced by Perez throughout the season.

He has been slower in qualifying and finishing well behind him in races.

But he has also suffered his fair share of mechanical issues.

Last time out in Mexico City, Bottas crashed heavily after a front-left suspension failure sent him into the barrier at Turn 1.

Cadillac has since confirmed a fix after investigating the failure.

He also broke down with an engine failure in Austin.

Despite the performance gap, Bottas pointed to the car as a factor.

He said that "most of the time" he is managing issues rather than delivering to his full potential.

"The team knows what they can get out of me if everything works well, and I feel the car with confidence," he said.

"I think they know that if they can give me a car, then I..."

What makes Cadillac's decision trickier is the lack of an obvious upgrade.

According to reports, there is no candidate who would be a clear improvement on Bottas if the team decides to make a change.

But names have emerged as potential replacements.

Colton Herta, the American driver and IndyCar winner, is the leading candidate.

Herta currently races in Formula 2 for Cadillac, but sits 19th in the standings.

He has struggled to make an impact in F2 this year.

However, he has impressed the team during his Free Practice 1 sessions.

So far, Herta has made five FP1 appearances for Cadillac.

A sixth FP1 is scheduled for Sao Paulo, where he will take the place of Sergio Perez.

The goal is for Herta to earn enough Super Licence points to qualify for an F1 seat.

Bottas acknowledged the situation.

"It kind of makes sense for him because I understood that if he misses the Super Licence this year, then it's going to be almost impossible to get it," Bottas said.

"And as long as he gets it now, it's going to be valid for a few years."

"So I'm pretty sure the team wants to have that just in case, not necessarily for next year."

"So that's at least what I hope."

Another option is Mercedes reserve driver Frederick Vesti.

Vesti declared his interest in the Cadillac cockpit after finishing third in FP1 at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Despite the speculation, Bottas remains confident.

"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."

Bottas revealed that any decision on driver changes requires board approval.