Valtteri Bottas will stick with Mercedes as third driver despite Cadillac deal
The Finnish driver’s move to Cadillac is all but official, with an announcement expected any day now—possibly as soon as the upcoming Zandvoort race weekend.
Bottas hasn’t exactly been subtle about his next career step, dropping hints for months before GPblog broke the news during the Belgian Grand Prix.
But what happens to his current Mercedes responsibilities?
GPblog can exclusively confirm that Bottas will continue serving as Mercedes’ third driver for the remainder of the 2024 season, exactly as originally planned.
This means he’ll keep showing up to Grand Prix weekends as the team’s reserve driver, putting in simulator work, and participating in Tests of Previous Cars (TPC).
What makes this arrangement interesting is that Bottas will soon be contracted to Cadillac—a team that will use Ferrari power units when they join the grid.
This dual role creates some practical challenges for Cadillac’s 2026 preparations.
The American team reportedly wants to conduct tests using modified Ferrari F1 cars, following similar TPC principles that Bottas is currently doing with Mercedes. His ongoing Mercedes commitments make his participation in these Cadillac activities virtually impossible for now.
Cadillac’s simulator work for their 2026 car development also appears off-limits for Bottas while he fulfills his Mercedes obligations.
This might explain why Cadillac’s choice for a second driver becomes particularly important. If Sergio Perez gets the seat, as some rumors suggest, he’d be available immediately for development work since he’s not currently tied to any F1 team.
For now, Bottas remains in silver while preparing for his American future.
