Bottas reveals Cadillac board must approve any F1 2027 driver change

Valtteri Bottas has revealed that any driver changes at Cadillac must be approved by the board — and that meeting has not yet happened.

The Finn’s seat has come under scrutiny in recent weeks due to a perceived performance gap between himself and teammate Sergio Perez.

Bottas spoke to the media at Interlagos on Thursday, addressing the growing speculation about his future.

“I’ve been quite surprised about the amount of noise on that because I know what my situation is,” Bottas said.

“All I’ve heard is that the team has been happy with what I’m doing.”

But he acknowledged how Formula 1 works: “Everyone wants to be in Formula 1, and if somebody sees an opportunity somewhere, they’re gonna try and go for it, one way or the other.”

Bottas emphasized the structure of Cadillac’s decision-making process.

“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.”

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

Bottas joined Cadillac in 2026 after a year on the sidelines, hoping for a long-term stay to help build the new team.

But while Perez has been rewarded with a contract extension keeping him at Cadillac through 2029, Bottas’s future remains uncertain.

The Finn has been slower than Perez in qualifying and finishing well behind him in races.

However, Bottas has also suffered mechanical issues — including a huge crash after suspension failure in Mexico and an engine failure in Austin.

He pointed to the car’s performance as a key factor.

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

“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.”

Bottas made clear he did not enter the season fighting for his seat.

“I came here for trying to improve things in the future,” he said.

“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.”

He also revealed he had some bruises after the Mexico GP incident, calling it “all normal.”

Bottas said the heat from the brakes reached the wishbones after running too long above temperature limits.

Cadillac has since changed the suspension after that crash.

The Finn told The Athletic: “It’s never nice, you know? 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.”

Despite the speculation, Bottas insists: “At the moment, nothing has changed.

“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 believes a decision should be made “soon,” but noted the moving parts in such a process.

“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 emphasized.

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

WHO COULD REPLACE BOTTAS?

The leading candidate is American driver Colton Herta.

Cadillac has given him the required FP1 appearances to earn the points needed for FIA Super Licence eligibility.

Herta had a poor year in Formula 2, which stymied his chances, but he is one FP1 session away from earning the needed points.

He thought he had it in Mexico, but finished one point short.